Music Review Review: Death Cab For Cutie's Narrow Stairs

Who doesn't like doing a little internet research?

To clarify: I woke up late this morning and was running through my AM internet routine, Sunday afternoon style. I came across the new Death Cab for Cutie album, Narrow Stairs, and couldn't help but download it (thanks Part of the Queue). As the opening track, "Bixby Canyon Bridge" ended in a squeal of distortion and echoed vocals, I couldn't help but wonder how Death Cab's rabid teenage fanbase and the Stereogum set were going to react to Gibbard's second major label attempt to be successful while trying to remain relevant in the current indie music landscape. One Google Blog search later I came across three reviews of Narrow Stairs that reminded where I landed on the "blogs as new journalism" argument.

Did Cameron Crowe's over the top optimism and aw schucks version of rock and roll journalism (or at least how it is portrayed in Almost Famous) affect enough suburban philistines that the world now has to endure dozens of record reviews that sophomorically let me know how the listener can relate to Ben Gibbard's every sneeze and sniffle? Apparently, yes.

If you read enough of these reviews, you'd know why Gibbard is so admired as a wordsmith. You'd also realize that either certain reviewers don't know the meaning of smarmy or have never listened to music.

Excerpts (verbatim):

Colin's Life in Music on Narrow Stairs:

• "I have just had an experience which i wish that I could somehow convey to others and hopefully have them experience the same. Only once before, I believe that I have had this experience but when you are amidst it and completely aware. The essence of this experience is hearing sonic capability and realizing it for its true beauty and no more.
• "When the song had finished and the album had come to an end, within the next ten minutes as I lay there motionless, these words poured into my brain and I realized the true beauty of this album."
• On opening track, "Bixby Canyon Bridge": "This track sets the mood for the album with enough ambiance and structure at the same time, creating a perfect balance. An ambient intro which leads into a structured song which eventually dissolves into an ambient and chaotic outro with a structured and melodic vocal line which eases the song out."

Consequence of Sound on Narrow Stairs:

• "These are songs bred in rhythm and saturated in rich melodies."
• "To be blunt, Narrow Stairs represents another bold attempt as the band continues to embrace the idea that their own smarmy drama pop should be less abrasive and grander on a scale both lyrically and instrumentally."
• "Would it be fair to judge the album based on its lyrics? In a way, no. After all, Gibbard isn’t the only member of the band; however, its hard to feel fresh when there are songs still about reigniting romance with someone else or dealing with ill fated conflicts on a day to day basis. Then again, isn’t that why anyone listens to Death Cab for Cutie?
• "There’s a sense of escape and parallelism in our lives that runs its course with Gibbard’s own, even if we’re not venturing into Kerouac caravaning lifestyles and soul searching on our free time."
• "Now to summarize, Narrow Stairs is another glossy volume of the same self introspective dramedies, which continues Gibbard’s plight in digging deeper than he really has to in life. He should be careful, though, because if one digs too far, they’re likely to strike rock and by then, they’re in too deep."

Living with Style on Narrow Stairs:

• "Death Cab for Cutie is known for writing lyrics with general analogies that express the emotions that they have felt in experiences they themselves have had in life. Like any artist, creating a song about a certain emotion is much easier when they've experienced it themselves. But Death Cab doesn't write it in such a way that makes it very blunt, and you think "Oh, okay, so the guy is singing about breaking up" type of deal, or at least, not to often. Rather, Ben (The vocalist), like I said before, often uses simple or complicated analogies that one may not pick up right away, about the way he felt when something happened."
• "To the initial listener, the song may seem very vague, but once the lyrics have been read, it becomes very clear what the writer is trying to say. It is this type of writing, that in their attempt, can create an image and story in your mind that can make their music so much more than just a song about an experience."
• "The album itself isn't full of technical fretwork and crazy beats, but the straightforward drive of the well put together music accompanies the lyrics themselves. Most of the tracks on the album are what you'd expect for an indie album, with drums, piano, a synthesizer and the high and smooth vocals of Ben Gibbard, but it also features songs such as "You Can Do Better than Me" that have a more vintage feel by adding different effects. Although I myself am not too much a fan of this type of change in the occasional song, the song itself is still okay."
• "For a first time listener, Narrow Stairs may not provide much to the listener due to it's deeper and more subtle talent which can be found in quiet background accompaniment, or complicated imagery, but it can also be a listening experience that can be full of emotion regardless if you know what the writer is talking about or not due to how the music is written."