My first listen to this song was sitting on my girlfriend’s couch, both of us hearing the song for the first time. I must admit on first listen my main thought was, “What the hell has happened to Death Cab”. I was not impressed and frankly a bit let down. My girlfriend expressed love for the song right off the bat. I told her, “I’m not digging it, but given the fact that I hated ‘Plans’ on first listen, only to love it on repeated listens, I’m sure this will grow on me”. Well kids, prophecy fufilled.
For the first four minutes or so, before the vocals come in, you might think you’re listening to a new Yo La Tengo track. You might think of something like a less fuzzed out, more piano heavy “Pass the Hatchet, I think I’m Goodkind”, or other YLT slow burners that are escaping my memory right now. This is due to the repetative bass groove, guitar noodles, and piano chords that come in and out. I swear as I listen to it right now, I expect, at any second, for Georgia Hubley or Ira Kaplan to suddenly start their quiet singing, alone or together, about their married life or any other of the myriad topics they cover in their songs. This is not a bad thing, or a bad sign, as I do love YLT.
Once the vocals come in, the YLT nuances fade a bit and things become a little more distinctly Death Cab, but a Death Cab you’ve never heard before. That isn’t to say the YLT feel totally disappears but it does amp down a bit. As Jim pointed out in the earlier post about this song, the lyrics are typical Ben Gibbard fare, which once again is not a bad thing, because he’s an accomplished lyricist, whom I respect greatly.
The song becomes distinctly Death Cab around the 6:45 mark, with a distinctly Death Cab breakdown. How is it a distinctly Death Cab breakdown? I can’t really explain it, but it just is. I think it’s one of the highlights of the song. It’s the part that wakes you up from the trance the rest of the song has put you in, because this is truly an entrancing song.
After the breakdown, though, things settle back into more YLT territory, but, don’t worry kids, I don’t think Death Cab is turning into a YLT tribute band or anything of that sort. Anyone who’s followed Death Cab through their stellar career knows that each album is a new adventure in sound, and that Death Cab always follows their own muse. I’ve read in interviews that “Narrow Stairs” is a reaction to the exceptionally layered production of “Plans”. This entrancing 8 minute romp through YLT-esque territory is just one reaction to “Plans”. I certainly don’t expect every song to be this way. I feel heavily assured that there will be, as there always is, at least one, two, or maybe more immeadiate songs that stick in your head and grab at your heart from the first listen.
The main complaint I’ve read, at least in the reviews on iTunes of this song, is the fact that it takes four minutes for the vocals to come in. This makes me wonder how much indie rock these reviewers have actually listened to. After all, elongated intros are nothing new in indie rock. They might be a bit new in the world of Death Cab’s music, but certainly not in the wide field of indie rock. On that premise, I call bullshit on those negative reviews. On top of that, it’s not like the first four minutes before the lyrics come in is filled with pointless noise. Sure it’s based on a repetative bass line, guitar noodles, and coming and going piano chords, but it’s a good bass line, good guitar noodles, and good coming and going piano chords. So fuck those negative reviews, cause those reviewers just need to open their minds and let the new Death Cab shine in.
Everything that Death Cab has said about this album has been to the tune of “this is going to be a divisive record among Death Cab fans”. This first single, right off the bat, proves to me that this is going to be true. If this track is any indication, I think I won’t have any problem getting on Death Cab’s new musical train. Seriously, this track makes me excited just to hear all the new avenues that will be explored on this record. From the snippets of comments about the lyrical topics, I think there will be some real heartbreakers on this record, “Your New Twin Size Bed” I’m looking at you.
So if you’re freaked out on first listen, or tempted to write Death Cab off as totally fucking up their good name, relax, take a few more listens, and see if this doesn’t grow on you. I bet it will.