A highly anticipated c.d. for years in my books has really let me down..
I have been a DCFC fan for over 6 years and the CD really did not surpass expectations did anyone else feel the same way? questions comments welcome.

to me this has nothing on trans, plans and the photo album the songs on narrow stairs are just not catchy enough and no memorable riffs etc there will be no title and registration 405 love here ..

it makes me a sad panda..

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Yondo,

Listen to the album more. This isn't in your face awesome.

Come on man... you have to give it a little time !

I must confess, after my first listen, I found it a tad underwhelming... but after I'd had time to digest it I found it to be pure brilliance !

Can't get those tracks outta my head now !

I agree with Yondo. Color me unimpressed. Granted I have only listened to it about 1 1/2 times, but overall it seems there is a certain edge that has become a DCFC trademark that's lacking here. I will give it more spins to see if it grows on me. Cheers!

While the album has grown on me over the last few days, I agree. It lacks the emotional essence that makes DCFC DCFC. Also, I think the topics are random, and some songs are melodically off. Talking Bird and You Can Do Better... are not Death Cab whatsoever. Cath, Bixby, Ice..., and Twin bed are the only songs i would consider essential of DCFC's past work, which we all know and love

Granted it's not what some might call 'another classic DCfC album'... I see it as more of a progression from their previous stuff.

I still think it's way too early to pass an overall judgment (even when you've been listening to it to death like many of us have).

I wish there were more tracks like Possess.. tracks with that Different Names build-up vibe..

[asshole]

I hate it when people say "this song is not Death Cab." Well guess what, it is. See the artist name next to the song? Excuse me for not wanting the same CD to be released every three years.

[/asshole]

I wholeheartedly agree with you System. All of the tracks on Narrow Stairs are completely Death Cab, whether you like it or not. It's silly to claim they aren't since the band made the album. There was another comment earlier about how "un-death-cab-like" the lyrics are and it just irritated me because a band has to evolve and do some different stuff, right? Trans was a great album but they are never going to make Trans part II, so get over it. Personally I'm happy their catalog has grown more diverse with this album. The melodies, sentiments, instrumentation, and vocals are still in place, but just with a new spin. Personally, I love it. I guess that makes it easier to embrace change.

Yeah i agree with the comment above. I think that death cab have really done an amazing job of accomplishing exactly what they set out to do and thankfully produced a good album in the process. I love the photo album, trans, facts, plans etc... but i love them in different ways. I have a favorite and it's not narrow stairs but it doesn't mean it's not a great album. If the difference in sound is not welcomed by some then it's up to them, but it doesn't mean they don't sound like death cab.

this album is awesome.....you just need to listen to the lyrics and you'll realize how great this album really is.....its not like any other album because they didn't want it to be and im happy they didn't....just take it for what it is and stop whining

I really like it. I've only listened to it all the way through twice, but I really like it.

quote:

Originally posted by littlefurybags: just take it for what it is and stop whining

Amen brother

Narrow Stairs blows Plans out of the water.

after several listens now, i still think this is a tough record to summarise. its not so much of a curve ball that chris claimed it to be. his early thoughts excited me, i will admit. to paraphrase: 'bloody and loose and dark'. the imagination runs wild with these words. the album presented is not really a departure so much as its just kind of strange in the context of the bands releases so far. i think its more trans. than plans. thats definately a good thing. they've returned to there telecasters. 'your new twin sized bed' reminds me of 'title and registation' in its construction, a melody line and the rolling verses. but by no means does it come close to the beauty of 'title.' 'no sunlight' also has a 'sound of settling' esque skew about it.

i think whats lacking from this record is the sense of lament, and sadness and melancholy something which was prevalant, nay, pretty much defined/anchored the band up until 2005. every song was charged with this tragic beauty. bens vocal delivery had a lot to do with this, and things certainly have changed in that department too. but musically and production wise, there was this focus, this direction, the sounds and arrangements all complimented the essence of the stories being told in each song and as part of the bigger scope and context of each body of work, chapter of there lives.
im not sying this record does'nt feel focussed or unified, on the contrare. im saying that the sounds and the arrangements dont seem to really fit or work with the songs, im really kind of confused as to what bens trying to say or feel about these situations. it all feels a bit conflicted going in different directions.

someone on the forum mentioned that they cant really connect with ben here, it feels as if he's singing for the hell of it or something along those lines. i dont totally agree with that sentiment but i can see where your coming from. i just feel detatched now, the songs seem pretty much inpenetrable to me. in the past i totally sunk in like quicksand, perhaps a little too much at times, the connection being so deep and intense that the albums to me became more like the memories i tied to them.

i think the irony here is that ben's conscious of all this, he knows thats things have changed and he seems genuinely sad about that, things havent turned out how he wanted them too, and now he no longer has that same optimistic/idealistic perpestive anymore because of these changes. so hes writing about his frustrations at himself, and with growing up. its weird, around the release of 'plans' he seemed much more content and kind of excited about embracing 30. now it seemes like its weighing on him more than ever...

one could argue all sorts of reasons for the changes. i think its just the natural comibination of things in ones life and the bands career. the major label shift certainly influenced the band much more dramatically than they perhaps can see. bens literal outlook on songwriting now, not wanting to shroud things in mystery anymore, is perhaps forcing the point more so than is needed, i think a lot of poetic beauty suffers at the hand of this approach.

you can dismiss me as being a typical negative snobby elitist fan if you wish. i may be stuck in the past or whatever. its all personal preference. truth be told, i miss the goosebumps i once got from there new records. i dont know if anything can really compare to the feeling i get when i hear those haunting keyboards underneath 'photobooth' or the eerie repetative dissonance of 'we laugh indoors'. or bens sullen delivery of the words 'i need you so much closer' and his urging question of plea 'so come on'. those are crystraline moments.

im all for progression and musical evolution. but i cant help but feel something's been lost along the way. and im not so sure when or indeed if it will come back. i hope for bens sake he finds something again. whatever that something may be.

quote:

Originally posted by Edison:

someone on the forum mentioned that they cant really connect with ben here, it feels as if he's singing for the hell of it or something along those lines. i dont totally agree with that sentiment but i can see where your coming from. i just feel detatched now, the songs seem pretty much inpenetrable to me. in the past i totally sunk in like quicksand, perhaps a little too much at times, the connection being so deep and intense that the albums to me became more like the memories i tied to them.

not totally disappointed with narrow stairs, but I have to agree with you, some of the songs just lack heart or depth maybe with the exception of talking bird, cath, bixby and the ice is getting thinner. I used to see stars whenever I first listened to a death cab song (don't mean to sound high) but some of the songs just seem to be catchy and not ahem, beautiful that I just seem to love about them. Great album anyway, was just looking for something more.peace