Is an indie band with a number one album on the Billboard charts considered indie anymore? Death Cab For Cutie’s last CD, 2005’s Plans, was their first for Atlantic Records and sold over one million copies. Their new CD, Narrow Stairs, entered the Billboard chart at number one, and three weeks later, is still in the top ten. But when indie rock god Ted Leo gives you kudos for sticking to your guns, and the screams of “sell out” are just passing whispers, its safe to say that Death Cab are still indie enough, at least in sound if not sales. The songs here don’t jump out as much as they did on Plans, but this follow-up to the band’s breakthrough will appeal to casual fans as much as the hardcore.
There are a number of strong tunes here. “Long Division” is propelled by a light and airy guitar riff, chiming over a sharp snappy back-beat. It’s the most immediate track, and that says a lot about the cadence of this CD. Plans was laconic, almost to a fault. But sharp production and some amazing melodies balanced the lethargy. Narrow Stairs takes another track, bringing a more upbeat speed to even darker lyrics. Production-wise it moves back into the old Death Cab territory. Chris Walla let off the sheen for this one.
‘I Will Posses Your Heart” is an exercise in indulgence. With over four minutes of a driving instrumental intro, you just about get to the point of hitting the skip button, to move to the next track, when things kick-in and the song moves through the usual Death Cab pop. “Grapevine Fires”, about watching fires in California, features some of the more literal lyrics Gibbard has written, but even behind what seem like autobiographical lyrics, is the sense that everything can be taken metaphorically. And there, in one song, is the essence of what makes Gibbard a talented and unique songwriter. “No Sunlight” echoes early IRS Records-like beats combined with soaring vocals. At a spry 2:40 it’s not even the shortest song on the CD (the passable “You Can Do Better Than Me” comes in at under two minutes).
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