Narrow Stairs
Death Cab's second album for Atlantic and sixth proper LP overall is one of the darkest and most muscular in the band's discography, as they move from the undergraduate longing of their earlier work and the looming mortality of Plans to a more generalized existential angst.
Death Cab For Cutie multi-instrumentalist and producer Chris Walla sounded the alarm just after New Year's: In one interview, he described Narrow Stairs as a "total curve ball" and a "really polarizing record" that's "got some teeth." To drive the message home, the band designated the eight-minute "I Will Possess Your…
After spending the better part of a decade in the musical minor leagues, Death Cab for Cutie went pro with 2005's Plans, a record whose optimism and bright, Technicolor sound gave the band enough leverage to enter the mainstream.
On the surprisingly tepid Narrow Stairs, the boys of Death Cab for Cutie seem to have tired somewhat of being themselves.
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs review: The indie-pop outfit's darkest offering yet hits more than it misses, but is a fairly heavy listen compared to their previous material.