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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk
Narrow Stairs might be the first album recorded by Death Cab for Cutie since Ben Gibbard's former solo project went unexpectedly stratospheric, but Gibbard hasn't let it go to his head. Oh, OK, maybe a little: lead-off single "I Will Possess Your Heart" is an eight minute jam that speeds off on one long, luminous curve before Gibbard's distinctive vocals swing in, sweet and plaintive as ever. Even when indulging their grander visions, though, Death Cab for Cutie are still familiar as the same band that wrote those fragile, winsome songs back before teen drama The OC came knocking. Never knowingly overstated, built from driving rhythms, flourishes of piano and intricate melodies, Narrow Stairs builds grand, emotionally loaded narratives from small, subtle parts. "Your New Twin Sized Bed" hides a deftly articulated tale of heartbreak and loneliness amidst soothing tangles of guitar, while "You Can Do Better than Me" is a sweet miniature that's part Pet Sounds orchestration, part wistful Dear John. This isn't, as Gibbard would previously hint, a dissonant or especially adventurous album. It proves, however, that Death Cab can extend their scope without diluting the pathos or energy of their music, and it not only sounds great, but bodes well for the future. --Louis Pattison

Amazon.com
After relentless touring, performances on Saturday Night Live, and appearing on the cover of Spin and Paste Magazines, Death Cab for Cutie brings us Narrow Stairs. Following up their DVD collection, Directions, which sold over 30,000 copies and their platinum selling album, Plans, was no easy task but Narrow Stairs has already been praised by MTV.com as the band's most daring and adventurous effort to date.

Customer Reviews: Read 96 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Forward Motion... May 13, 2008
69 out of 79 found this review helpful

When Death Cab for Cutie signed to Atlantic Records a few years back, many people expected the worse. In the indie music world, where signing to a major record label is often met with cries of "selling out" and steadfast declarations of "their old stuff was better," Death Cab's transition was proof that a major record deal doesn't alway signal the end of a band's better days. Plans wound up being a beautiful album; not near as exciting or breathtaking as its predecessor, but still drenched in Ben Gibbard's unparalleled lyricism and Chris Walla's flawless production. It was an album that found the band's rough edges smoothed out - their more hopeful moments set aside to make way for those of self-doubt and longing.

Narrow Stairs takes the opposite approach. Walla is once again behind the production, but the album has a much more natural quality to it (a feature that not only contrasts Plans, but Walla's own solo album and his work with The Decemberists and Tegan and Sara). As such, it feels more like the band's earlier work: unrestrained and unrefined, free of nit-picking and studio perfectionism. The raw, guitar distortion of album-opener, "Bixby Canyon Bridge," would never exist on an album like Plans, and it's refreshing to hear the band breaking free from the self-imposed restrictions of their previous record.

Likewise, the album's first single "I Will Possess Your Heart" is well over 8 minutes long, something that I can't imagine Atlantic Records smiling on, especially being a single. The song seems hand-crafted to be the opening number to a live performance, with instrumentation slowly building over Nick Harmer's infecting bass line until finally, after 4 1/2 minutes, it's just Gibbard spouting his equally intoxicating, "You gotta spend some time love/ you gotta spend some time with me." Like most, I wasn't sold on the song on the first listen, but after spending some time with it (get it?) it grew on me. It still may not have been the wisest choice for a first single, but doing so seems to be more about making a statement than a marketing decision.

"No Sunlight" is, oddly enough, a very sunny pop/rock song with an indisputably rockin' chorus. Like a good Of Montreal song, its easy-going composition masks its darker lyrics. During the chorus, Gibbard sings, "It disappeared at the same speed/ the idealistic things I believe/ the optimist died inside of me." "Cath..." is equally as depressing, telling the story of a woman who marries out of the fear of growing old alone. Ben's lyrics are as impressive as they always are, lamenting, "Cath/ it seems that you live in someone else's dream/ in a hand-me-down wedding dress," later noting that, "the whispers that it won't last/ run up and down the pews." The song's forward guitars and bouncy instrumentation make it an easy favorite on the album, and one that I simply can't find fault with.

"Talking Bird" is a strange ballad about a parrot, or other bird that can talk. Gibbard trudges through the song with his typically melancholic musings, but knowing the subject matter really makes the song lose any effect that it may have had otherwise. "You Can Do Better Than Be" bursts out of the gate with such fanfare, that it seems more appropriate for a parade than a Death Cab album. Ben begins the song by singing, "I'm starting to feel we stayed together out of fear," over heavily-structured, syncopated snares and bass drums. It's a very cool sounding song and one of the few times on Narrow Stairs in which the band feels like they're trying to branch out.

By far, the album's standout track is "Grapevine Fires," in which Gibbard tells the story of a peaceful moment in the midst of a wildfire. The song is absolutely gorgeous from the start, with soft instrumentation, lush harmonies, and vivid imagery carrying it to its stunning conclusion ("The firemen worked in double shifts/ with prayers for rain on their lips"). "Your New Twin Sized Bed" is more standard Death Cab fare. As such, one could probably figure out the story of the song based on the title alone. It's a pretty track, but nothing that requires any real discussion or dissection. "Long Division" winds up being a much more pleasing song. With an irresistible, upbeat, guitar-heavy arrangement, you're almost guaranteed to sing along to the chorus ("To be the remain, remain, remain, remainder!") and maybe even bust out with a little air drumming. I know I have.

"Pity and Fear" is a song that never really goes anywhere. It doesn't build, change, or affect in any notable manner, and may be doomed to skip button of many CD players. Unfortunately, not even some admittedly cool guitaring in the track's final minute can redeem it. "The Ice Is Getting Thinner" ends the album on a high, if not sorrowful, note. Gibbard describes two lovers drifting apart with such beauty, that it's difficult to even think of a song that could do it better. He croons, "We buried our love/ in a wintery grave/ a lump in the snow/ was all that remained." It is a typical, soft, reflective comedown track to be sure, but you simply can't deny the brilliance of it.

In many ways, Narrow Stairs is a return to form for Death Cab for Cutie. That being said, it doesn't necessarily show them retreading the same path again, either. What Narrow Stairs accomplishes is much more subtle and graceful. It portrays a band embracing their roots while moving towards the future. With their success and notoriety already achieved, the band challenged themselves to make an album that doesn't rely on perfection in the studio, songwriting, or performances; but one that is honest, exciting and natural. It's not exactly reinventing the wheel, but Narrow Stairs is far from a sell out or a disappointment. It is simply another solid album from a band who continues to prove themselves worthy of our admiration. And really, what more could anyone want?

Key Tracks:
1. "Bixby Canyon Bridge"
2. " I WIll Possess Your Heart"
3. "Cath..."
4. "You Can Do Better Than Me"
5. "Grapevine Fires"

8 out of 10 Stars

4 out of 5 stars

DCFC marches on, with ever better result May 13, 2008
19 out of 23 found this review helpful

After their big-label debut "Plans" in 2005, DCFC took to the streets and toured relentessly. This in turn lead to a longer than usual period in between new studio recording. Now, 3 years later, comes the much anticipated 6th studio albums from these guys.

"Narrow Stairs" (11 tracks, 45 min.) starts off with the best 1-2 punch ever: an epic opener "Bigxby Canyon Bridge", followed by an even stronger 8+ min. brooding "I Will Posess Your Heart" (1st radio single). Wow... these 15 min. of music alone are worth buying the album for. Smartly Ben Gibbard and the guys take a (musically) lighter turn after that, with tracks like "No Sunlight", "Your New Twin Sized Bed" and "You Can Do Better Than Me" (even though neither of them is a 'light' song lyrically...). Other highlights for me include "Grapevine Fires" (with great underlying keyboards) and the somber closer "The Ice Is Getting Thinner". But honestly, there isn't a single weak track as such on here. The songs are sequenced perfectly and it all flows from one to the next. Chris Walla's production is perfectly in tune with Ben Gibbard's slightly darker than usual songs. A terrific album all around (and right up there with 2003's "Transatlanticism", in my opinion).

I had seen DCFC in concert before, but when I saw them at Coachella in late April, the entire band played with a vigor and passion I hadn't seen before. They played quite a few of the new songs (including "I Will Possess Your Heart", which I'm guessing is Nick's (the bass player) favorite new song, but also "Grapevine Fires"), and also bringing a couple of classics such as "Sound of Settling". In all DCFC's set was one of the more memorable of the entire Coachella festival for me. Can't wait to see them again in concert. Meanwhile "Narrow Stairs" is highly recommended!

4 out of 5 stars

Life Cab May 13, 2008
14 out of 15 found this review helpful

After the first time thru I would have rated this album just three stars, but it's kinda growing on me. I like the apt and easy song lyrics. I like various small and subtle production elements, such as the way the lead guitar moves in and around the vocals, sometimes joining, on tunes like "Pity and Fear." And there are various other things on Stairs I appreciate. There's no magnificent tragedy on the new CD to rival "Transatlanticism," but then what ever could? Stairs does have the similarly epic (and slow-building) "I Will Possess Your Heart," but it's quietly optimistic where "Trans..." is all heartbreak and sorrow. For those who felt let down after their first listen, give the disc another try and see what you think. Oh, and by the way, the CD booklet is another minor but cool work of art, something the download-only folks will miss I guess.

1 out of 5 stars

A real snoozer May 19, 2008
10 out of 23 found this review helpful

I've never been sadder on the release date of a Death Cab album. Plans was admittedly a disappointment after the near perfection that was Transatlanticism, but there is no way I could have seen this coming. Narrow Stairs is so dreadfully boring and Gibbard's over-enunciated vocals are so much more over-enunciated than ever that it is often difficult to finish each song without skipping to the next track in hopeless optimism; hopeless because each song is worse than the last. The one shining glimpse of what made DCFC great is the fourth track "Cath..." but it is short lived and only leads back into the familiar slow tempo and cliched lyrics. Admittedly I am nostalgic for the days of We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, but I try not to let that cloud my judgment when approaching this new album. DCFC gets wussier and wussier as time goes by. As Walla's excellent guitar hooks fade into the background and Gibbard's now played-out lyrics take the forefront, I do not have high hopes for a once favorite band of mine. Bummer.

3 out of 5 stars

Somewhere in the Middle : Where does Death Cab Go from Here? May 24, 2008
7 out of 12 found this review helpful

This happens all the time. A Lo-fi Indie band with a huge underground following somehow manages to gain mainstream success, and they are then plagued by the same issues that plague any mainstream artist - sounding generic and over-produced.

Death Cab for Cutie, for those who know, actually has a huge back-catalog of excellent music, and the irony is that the more obscure the album is, the better it sounds (try getting your hands on their first two albums to know what I'm talking about). In that context, I guess you could call "Narrow Stairs" their 'worst' album, but musically its not really very bad. Neither is it good though, which is where the problems arise.

I think the need for the band to create something 'epic' is what has destroyed their credibility. Its one thing to have your songs on soundtracks to "The O.C" and enjoy limited success, but I can sense the commercial viability thing these guys were going for here, and its not nice. The worst part of the whole thing is that "Plans" seemed to veer in this direction, but this new record totally goes the 'Coldplay' route and borders on pretentious.

I think comparing this to the new Coldplay record is justified, because I guess both bands were expected to deliver something epic, and 8-minute long overwrought tracks are no way to do this. I consider this the musical equivalent of Elizabeth Taylors' "Cleopatra" - unnecessarily dressed up, and nowhere to go.

Three Stars. If this were another indie release from an unknown band, I might have been interested, but considering its DCFC, this isn't exactly memorable stuff.

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