One aspect of Death Cab’s songwriting I keep bringing up in this review is Gibbard’s lyrics, and for good reason. I firmly believe that Narrow Stairs features some of Death Cab’s strongest and sharpest lyrics yet – emphasis on sharp. A trend I’ve noticed in Gibbard’s lyrics is that they’re becoming simpler and more succinct, steadily moving from the convoluted and heady lyricism of their early work to easily digestible metaphors and expressions. Now this can be a double-edged sword, as it has resulted in some of Death Cab’s weakest lyrics to date, but it has also resulted in some of their strongest, and Narrow Stairs really nails it. Looking at the song titles alone, seven out of the eleven tracks on this album are metaphors, and the three other songs are direct statements to someone – those tracks being “I Will Possess Your Heart”, “Cath…”, and “You Can Do Better Than Me”. However, the simplicity is really only one half of what makes Narrow Stairs’ lyrics so great. It’s also the predominantly negative themes and feelings expressed – cynicism, jealousy, self-loathing, bitterness, defeat, lust, and uncertainty, just to name a few. And even though listening to the singer of “I Will Follow You into the Dark” sing about such topics so bluntly and shamelessly may be uncomfortable, that’s the point – down to its messy and fractured album artwork, and its album title (I would imagine climbing or going down a flight of narrow stairs to be a pretty precarious and claustrophobic situation). What makes Narrow Stairs brilliant is its unflinching display of insecurities through its brutal honesty (which may remind some of a certain Weezer album). “It’s like one guitar and a whole lot of complaining” – it sure is, Summer Roberts, it sure is.
I’m not asking you to put Narrow Stairs on the top of your essentials list. I’m not even asking you to put it on the top of your Death Cab list. But I am asking you to give this fantastic album another listen, and consider ranking it higher. I know I have.
Favorite Lyrics by /u/hawkgate
How I wish you could see the potential The potential of you and me It’s like a book elegantly bound But in a language that you can’t read just yet * “I Will Possess Your Heart”
You disappeared at the same speed The idealistic things I believed The optimist died inside of me * “No Sunlight”
My old clothes don’t fit like they once did So they hang like ghosts Of the people I’ve been * “You Can Do Better Than Me”
And they carried on like long division And it was clear with every page That they were further away from a solution that would play Without a remain, remain, remain, remainder * “Long Division”
Spare no tears Just pity and fear And I recall The push more than the fall The push more than the fall * “Pity and Fear”
Talking Points by /u/hawkgate
Do you prefer Barsuk-Death Cab or Atlantic-Death Cab? Why? Is there a difference?
Do you enjoy Death Cab’s recent output (specifically Codes and Keys and Kintsugi)? Why or why not? And why do you think that is getting such a bad rep among fans?
For most Death Cab fans (or at least for me anyway), their entry album is considered their favorite. Is this the case for you?
And by extension, what are your favorite Death Cab albums/songs and why? Do you have any personal memories tied to them?
And finally, is the glove compartment really inaccurately named?
Outro + Schedule