I've been awaiting May 13 for quite some time. Simply for the fact that Narrow Stairs, the newest Death Cab for Cutie album would finally be in my hands.
So on my lunch hour (yes, working full time) I headed over to Best Buy to get this little beauty. After a minor heart attack when I couldn't find it, I was delighted to see the strange yet amazing cover art that made it stand out from the other new releases this week. Much to my dismay though, I had to wait another 5 hours before actually being able to listen to it.
I've got to say... the five hours that I had to wait was definitely worth it, without a doubt. I'm trying to understand why critics who reviewed the album classified it as 'dark' and such 'a different sound,' because to me it's anything but dark. Sure, some songs have more deep lyrics then fans might be used to, but Gibbard's work far surpasses almost everything that he has done up until this point.
While the whole album (produced by Chris Walla) is practically flawless, certain songs definitely stick out. Be sure to listen to 'You Can Do Better Than Me' along with 'Your New Twin Sized Bed' and 'Bixby Canyon Bridge.'
You won't be disappointed.
