Narrow Stairs V. Plans V. Death Cab For Cutie as The new it Band that was Already an it Band

Death Cab is my obsession. I will admit it.

So please forgive this completely masterbatory act as i join the endless swarm of bloggers giving their opinion on the topic.

Lets start by saying that I liked Plans. It was the perfect introduction to their sound, it had all the down beat melancholy of We Have The Facts and all the rifts of Transatlanticism. There is not much more you can ask for when trying to expand your fan base while staying true to your roots. At the same time the album was pretty cut and dry, it lacked the mystery Ben had cultivated in past records. The fog had been replaced and Ben now sang with conviction on everything from the loss of loved ones to love after death. This coupled with the fact that the band was now all over Shows like the O.C turned off many a fan.

But i loved it, finally they got the respect they had earned. On top of that they had not lost their sound to the dreaded Major Label.

I got Narrow Stairs the morning of its release from my local record store and listened to it straight through two times.

I like it.

Granted there are parts that do not sound like DCFC to me. And there are songs I do not like. But once again they made the album they wanted to and once again they came up with something i will be listening to for many years to come. Best of all they got some of that mystery back that was so lacking in Plans. Its sonically expansive and just as lyrically interesting as any album i have heard in a long time. Its as if they said "hey O.C crowd, you like this sound? well here is the rest of stuff we play and if you don't like it get over it."

Haters will be heard, but im sure that Death Cab is the same band they always were. And from this point it looks like that's never going to change.

Cath....mp3