A Collection of Sunbeams and Rainbows
Of course, I’m talking about the new Death Cab For Cutie album, Narrow Stairs, which was released this week – because nothing says cheerful like Death Cab.
By my analysis, the album breaks down like this:
Disillusionment: 3 songs
Empty relationships, settling: 4 songs
Stalking: 1 song (technically two, one radio-version, one long-version)
Life post-break-up/hitting rock-bottom: 2 songs
California wildfires: 1 song
Any yes, the wildfire song is the most uplifting of the bunch.
These songs in general seem more produced than on their last (fantastic) album “Plans”. Overall, it’s a good collection – incorporating the interesting musical twists and carefully wrought lyrics that fans have come to expect.
After my initial listenings, I think it falls a little short of “Plans” because this collection lacks enough examples of the wry-dark-humor so well captured in songs like “Someday (You Will Be Loved)” and “Crooked Teeth”.
My early favorites are the stalkerriffic song, “I Will Possess Your Heart” (which has been pre-releaesed for a little while) and a great song “Cath…” about a bride settling for an empty marriage.
Grab yourself a couple fingers of scotch and hope that you don’t recognize yourself in this album’s songs.
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Comments
Love your breakdown of the songs, hahaha. I'm pretty sure most every Death Cab song from the previous two albums could fit in one of the first four categories. And I'm a bad person who doesn't listen to the earlier albums, because prior to Transatlanticism, I really did not enjoy Death Cab to the point of--dare I say?--disliking them.
~starts to continue comment, but is rendered incapable due to an attack of whimpering, feeble Indie kids--they're weak and pasty, but they come in droves!!~
~Indie kids proceed to dance limply, each shifting his or her weight from one Chuck Taylor to the other, slowly encircling Joie~
~shot of Joie screaming zombie-movie style as she is consumed by a crowd of kids, each whining things like, "DCFC lost their stylistic integrity after You Can Play These Songs with Chords!" and "I know how to play acoustic guitar...sort of!!" and "Hey look, my clothes are so eccentric!!!"~
Aaaaaaand scene.
(That went on way... way too long.)
ssg -- I like the fire-song too -- and i'm curious that it starts in a motel room!
(that's right, the rare tig on a comment!)
Just awesome. I also don't go back too often before "Transatlanticism" -- the consistency just isn't there for a lot of them. BG was interviewed in Paste-magazine last month and said he thought a lot of their early stuff wasn't that good, as well.
I'm sure that DC -- since they've been on a major label and are so un-hip that a guy in his 40s listens to them are now "sell outs" to the emo-circuit.
PS "Tiny Vessels" is my favorite on Transatlanticism...