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Before I get started with this review, I want to apologize for releasing it a day late.  I’ve been a little unmotivated to write this review, and I think that sentiment stems from the type of album Death Cab For Cutie has released.  I was asked to describe the album in 4 words or less, and the only response I could come up with that seemed fitting was “Good, but not great.”  It is definitely more complicated than that because I actually do like the album, so make sure to read on for a full analysis of Death Cab for Cutie’s “Narrow Stairs.”

3 years after their hit album Plans, Death Cab For Cutie has released an album that I feel lacks style and originality, but is still successful as a DCFC album merely because Ben Gibbard and crew are amazingly talented musicians.  Each song still has that Death Cab flair and none of the songs are generic radio hits, so at least some credit is due.

I think my favorite part of this album is how Ben uses his voice.  He has realized that his is more than just a voice, it is an instrument.  In the first track, “Bixby Canyon Bridge,” Gibbard’s vocal inflections add more than just pitch and tone, he is another instrument in the band.  Of all the songs, I think this first track, though an introduction song of sorts, is the most interesting.

Much of the rest of Narrow Stairs is simply a reflection of their old work.  One nice surprise in this aspect is that it is not a copy of their most recent work in Plans.  The influences for this album reach much further back into history to their 2001 release of The Photo Album and their album released in 2003, Transatlanticism.  At times Narrow Stairs is astonishingly similar to Death Cab’s previous work.  For example, the song “Long Division” seems to mirror a great song off of The Photo Album, “We Laugh Indoors.”  I speak mostly of the guitar riffs when I make this comparison, but even the structure of the song is too similar.

What I really enjoy about Narrow Stairs is the same thing I love about every Death Cab For Cutie album: I can play this album in the background while doing almost anything and it is not distracting, but it is still good quality music.  Though this CD may not stand out as one of the shining stars in DCFC’s repertoire, it is still classic Death Cab and any fan of the band will surely enjoy this album thoroughly.

In the end, my prediction of this album is not quite as enthusiastic as when I reviewed Panic at the Disco’s Pretty.Odd., but is still positive.  This doesn’t seem like much of a radio album, so I think Death Cab For Cutie’s popularity will wane since their last album, but any fans they created with Plans will stick around to see what DCFC has in store in the future.  At the very least, this album will not turn anyone off of the band.  It is easy on the ears and will be an interesting listen to anyone who hasn’t heard Death Cab’s mellow but intricate sound before.