Death Cab For Cutie — Narrow Stairs

Narrow Stairs

Atlantic

Jen White (CHARTattack)

05/13/2008 10:07am

When DCFC guitarist/producer Chris Walla described this sixth full-length album as a curve ball, he wasn't joking. Lead single "I Will Possess Your Heart" is a strange jam band type of song that doesn't build in tension like "Transatlanticism," and its eight-plus minutes seem highly unnecessary. When it finally reaches the repetitive chorus of "You gotta spend some time love/You gotta spend some time with me/And I know that you'll find love/I will possess your heart," it just gets annoying. Frontman Ben Gibbard usually possesses my heart, but I don't know if I can find a lot of love here, even after numerous listens. That said, opener "Bixby Canyon Bridge" is distinctly Death Cab with a harder sound. The poppier "Cath..." and "No Sunlight" are reminiscent of their signature upbeat tunes, and "The Ice Is Getting Thinner" is the essential album ballad. "Pity And Fear" is another departure with that jam band feel that falls flat. The song also ends abruptly with a loud noise that almost sounds like there's something wrong with the CD. There are just too many odd pieces that don't seem to fit and end up weighing the whole thing down.

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