Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs

We have a love hate relationship with this album. We dug the music but the lyrical themes are too focused on unhealthy emotions like isolation, obsession, anxiety, mortality and fear of loss that it takes the fun out of a show likes ours, so we dunk on it a little. 

Enjoy!

Transcript

First Impressions And 2008 Memories

SPEAKER_02 0:36

So that's the album we're gonna be doing today. And we want to thank you for listening as always. Uh this is uh this is a pretty an emo kind of uh thing, and uh Tim and I are kind of like loving the music. Thinking the lyrics, maybe some of the band members are a little pretentious, but uh yeah, there's good and bad, there's there's everything in this, and so we're gonna we're gonna do what we always do, and uh we're gonna go through the songs, listen to uh everything on the album, and at the end we're gonna rank our top three uh non-hits, and uh there are a few of them on this album. Yeah, so we're looking at uh I Will Possess Your Heart, uh a few others. We'll we'll get into that uh in in a little bit. So anyway, um Yeah. It's uh I remember in 2008 I was down in Florida, and I remember hearing about them from a buddy of mine. I don't really talk too much uh anymore, but uh and he was he was just telling me about I mean I I heard the I I saw I Will Possess Your Heart in a video. And at that point in time, I was thinking, okay, these guys are this is a great song, I'm I'm digging it, even though I'm getting kind of like a so-so vibe, you know, from the lyrics. I don't know, there's something about it. I didn't know. I I liked it and I didn't like it, but nevertheless, it gave an impression. Yeah, it made an impression on me, I should say. And then of course I had the friend who had the girlfriend who he broke up with, and she's like they're having a fight over the the death cat for QD C D and it became all drama and so it just felt like a loop, you know, between their drama and the drama on the album, and it was just like so But I mean it is a good song and I know that a lot of people like it, and I we're g we're going in a little a little blind. I mean I've listened to the album once through and some of the the bigger songs you know we you know we've heard multiple times. So I'm I'm willing to give it a chance. I I I listened to it this morning, there were a couple on here, I'm not gonna say. I'm just gonna give it a clean listen, and then from there just I'm gonna I'm gonna lay right into it. So anyway. Uh what else can we say about Deathcap for Cutie? There's this narrow stairs. Um it was released on May 12, 2008. So um I guess in the UK and on May 13 in the US. Oh, so it was a day early in the UK. Anyway, um the second single was Calf. Um great, great song, I I will admit. Um I dig that one. I think I'm I'm more that that's my number one hit, followed by I Possess Your Heart is my number two hit. So um those are the two real biggies from my recollection. Um I guess it would it reached number one on Billboard 200. They I know they have uh um multiple uh Grammy nominations and awards, I believe. Um the guitarist is also the producer Chris Wallah, and he stated Narrow Stairs was very much a commitment to just crashing through the songs as we recorded them, like four people in a room. Okay, yes, alright. Alright on. Yeah, so there's uh it starts off with Bixie Bixby Canyon Bridge. It kinda gives me an image of Bill Bixby, you know. Incredible Hulk kind of a thing. I think there was a canyon or a bridge, and there was rain coming down, he was hitchhiking. So, anyway, turned into the Hulk. When nuts. Apparently, uh lead singer, uh Ben Gibbard, uh, founded the band. Um Married Zoe Day Chanel, divorced her shortly thereafter. It may have been around this time when they got married. Um we'll have to look at the dates. She was inspiring in some way of this album. She's a quirky lady, and uh everybody loves her. So we're gonna go with the first song Little Little Bixby Canyon Bridge. Think Incredible Hulk.

SPEAKER_01 8:21

Shout out to the bikers, shout out to the runners.

SPEAKER_03 8:23

Eventually you're right at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

So this is like we're going down like a place of suicide here.

SPEAKER_03 8:33

Barefoot in the ship. Or it's just the death creek. I grabbed some stones from underneath and waited for you to speak to me. That you had long ago disappear. Quirky girls myself, where'd the quirky girl go? That this didn't play like it did in my mind, all the way from San Francisco as I chased the end of Europe, cause I've still got miles to go and run off into the hills or whatever.

SPEAKER_05 9:40

I want shout out to Kira.

SPEAKER_04 9:43

I think if I keep up this way, it's hard to win. The build-up here.

SPEAKER_01 9:58

Shout out to the Yerva Mate drinkers. Let's let's get some Yerba. Let's get some Yerba go.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

Get some tip of the Yerba go great. Did you hear that raga? There was like a a nice little puppet cup raga.

SPEAKER_01 10:17

It's just a dream.

SPEAKER_02 10:19

It's just a dream. It's just a dream. Shout out to Tom Fruit. Cool kid.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

And the deleted scene. That uh however. Shout out.

SPEAKER_05 10:44

I felt it's my later thought thought up by some of the time.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

I do like this.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

Sugar ray. We done sugar ray yet. I could do without sugar ray, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

Flying somewhere?

SPEAKER_01 12:32

Are you are we flying somewhere?

SPEAKER_02 12:34

We could you know I had it. No, I don't. What the other oh oh smashing pumpkin. This is like smashing pumpkins. This is what I'm hearing. Okay. A little bit. Okay. Yeah. Stop scared.

SPEAKER_03 12:54

Trudge back. Your world frightens and confuses me.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

This is frightening and confusing. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 13:06

As I must assume.

SPEAKER_02 13:13

Well, you know, this is like a song about like uh accident, they died, and it was a suicide. I didn't even pit.

SPEAKER_05 13:19

I mean, look, good drama.

SPEAKER_01 13:28

Yeah, we'll just leave it at that.

SPEAKER_05 13:30

Yeah, sure. Still legal in 16 states. It's happy, it's fun, it's happy fun ball.

SPEAKER_02 13:39

Alright, alright, back to the misery. Okay, this is I will possess your heart.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

This is could be one of the best intros of all indie songs. I yeah, I agree. Maybe. I I like the build up of it. I mean, this is an eight-minute song. It's a three-minute. Just buckle in and fall. I hope it makes you happy. Shout out to the runners. Shout out to the runners. We can't we can't just take it to the ledge. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:11

Sit the next couple plays out, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

I like the piano.

SPEAKER_02 15:18

Oh yeah, for the yes and no.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

I like more piano, please.

SPEAKER_02 15:28

I like the bass. So bass and piano. Kind of like doing banjos. Chris Wall is kind of sparsely playing guitar.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

This is like one of my favorite bass piano show notes. I tried to play all the pieces, really. Tried to meld a yuke melt.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

It's the uh the bizarro version of Death Cat for TD. It's like live Uber against Frumpy. Tim didn't want me to use that one. I was gonna say I was gonna say ugly. He's like, nah.

SPEAKER_01 16:38

Alright, frumpy. Ugly the live Uber against ugly. Okay. Look at you here. There it is.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Show us a fossil. That's good.

SPEAKER_01 16:59

I like I will possess your heart, but I prefer. You will loan me your uncle's love. Or whatever. I don't know. I don't know. Your uncle's love. That's a good song. But then you be honest.

SPEAKER_02 17:23

That's gonna be that's gonna be one of the first songs.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

We do our sustained panic guitar.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

I can't receive much. I don't know what the absolute time is against you.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

Come do it.

SPEAKER_03 18:14

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. You gotta spend some time to go and a cappella. You gotta spend some time with me, and I know that you'll find good drama, right? I will possess your heart. You gotta spend some You gotta spend some time with me, and I know that you'll find low. I will possess your heart.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

I like how his voice adds another melody on top. It's sort of a another riff, like a guitar could play a fill, but it's his voice that's doing it. He's doing that whole uh John Choose thing. Are you talking about respect? Yeah, okay. We'll be lovers, it's cool, we'll be lovers.

SPEAKER_03 19:30

You gotta spend some time with me. I know that you'll find low I will possess your heart.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

It's very repetitive. And also if you're newly newly romanced, maybe just don't say the possess, like possess it.

SPEAKER_02 19:58

Yeah, this is coming off a little strong. Coming on so we don't go on a dame. I will possess your heart.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

I will but hey, I'm gonna really catch you. Yeah, and it works with the lyrical sync patient song.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

So he don't he don't possess so we dation now's heart anymore.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

It's a good uh inseg. This is the bridge here.

SPEAKER_03 20:36

Yeah You gotta spend some time excellent bridge there You gotta spend some time with me I know that go back to that fine manic guitar again. I will possess it.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

Yeah, there's a little drum little thing going on. Good drama, break, good drama, break, good drama, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:59

It's not me I know that you find I will possess you I know that Ben's a big runner.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

I know Ben. Ultra marathon runner, shout out to the runners out there. Shout out to the runners to keep us keep us honest. That's right. Look both ways before you cross the street.

SPEAKER_05 21:48

And run off into the hills or whatever. It's just key rock, Your Honor, and yes, I'm ready. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

Oh, that's a nice little now. We're getting into the get out of your cave. We're number two here. Yeah, so number three. Yeah. No sunlight. This is very Zoe D Chanel-ish.

SPEAKER_03 22:23

When I was young, lying in the grass. No warming bath of sunlight, of sunlight, a fast open sky. Could do no harm. Like another chat rubber. Of mother's arm.

Track 2: I Will Possess Your Heart

SPEAKER_01 22:50

There was some but there's sunlight. I think it's sunlight. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

That was sunlight.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

Get on my bike to go to work. It's morning. I know. It's time to sit there for seconds. More chills appear.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

I know, there's just something not right about this song. I try.

SPEAKER_03 23:25

It's all we got.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

Yeah, it's kind of depressing.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

It's all like I do it.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

Don't start by this time. I'm making people happy! I'm the magical man!

SPEAKER_02 23:56

Just a if when you're in the a rock spot at the place.

SPEAKER_01 24:03

Maybe this death really hits at that point in time. Shout out to MC. Death death tab. You'll call it Manner North. Shout out to Manor North. Shout out. Yeah. Okay, sunlight there. What's new to houseplants then? I don't know. Couple house plants in the dorm. That's not good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:32

No sunlight. No sunbind. No sun vibe.

SPEAKER_02 24:36

Filtered air. Anymore. Filter water. Yeah. Shout out to the plant people, aka Tim. Yeah. Gotta get that sunlight. Okay, this is Kath. Did we establish a crate fine fires? Is it a hit? I thought it would be, but Yeah, let's put it in there. Those three. Let's take those three out. Cath crate vine.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Yeah.

unknown 25:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 25:27

Alright, I can get down with that. Got that established. Kath is not.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

Kath is a this is a hit. Okay. Or not. This isn't gonna hurt. For our consideration. Alright. Bill Pittsburgh's nice.

SPEAKER_01 25:46

Posture here. Alright. Alright. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

Shoulders balls. Nice and broad. Shout out to Annapolis. Let's help it a big shoulders. Am I crying? No, I'm not crying.

SPEAKER_01 26:19

What is this? Get the same offline. I have hot lines. I worked out. Alright.

SPEAKER_03 26:46

It's deep. Someone else's dream. Wedding dress. Could have been all oppressed. She said you've vowed. You close the door. On so many men. Would have loved you more.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

Yikes, wow.

SPEAKER_04 27:31

Everybody will lie.

SPEAKER_02 27:51

Put that pot. Put that pasture up. Put the posture back.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

The bread. The romantic bread look like. Yeah. And if anybody fucks with you, they're fucking done. Roll up and down the church. I don't know. That's what I'm saying. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

Use the church metaphors.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

But then they have done the same as you. Don't make this deep cut song on about you. Yeah. Damn. Alright, that was that was good. That was a good one.

SPEAKER_02 28:39

This is Talking Bird? Okay.

SPEAKER_03 28:41

Oh. My talking bird. Like a boy.

SPEAKER_02 28:50

Shout out to coming out. Eddie Murphy. Coming to America again.

SPEAKER_03 29:02

Repeat. Like your brain can keep up with your be.

SPEAKER_02 29:12

That's pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 29:13

I'm just a caveman. And you're a cave. No cave. So you're free to leave us. Sometimes you get confused.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

I'm getting for claps.

SPEAKER_03 29:40

Like very trying to give you something about this life.

SPEAKER_01 30:00

Like Wilco vibes. Yes, yes, I agree. Wilco before Wilkes. Same time. It's hard to see.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

Maybe the cranberries a little bit. Oh. Zombie.

SPEAKER_03 30:23

Will you live in a house in a house? House in house. You don't realize. The window.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

You ever seen that?

SPEAKER_03 30:43

Open.

SPEAKER_01 30:48

Oh. Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 30:49

Oh. Matzo.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

I bet some birds will probably fly in. Yeah, is it kind of like a moat? Oh yeah. It surrounds the house. Yeah, the garden. The greenhouse. They surrounded their house with glass. Oh, I see. Oh, yeah. Okay, I gotcha. It's mind-blowing. True. I don't know. Is that that's your dream? Well, you ever had a dream last year you would do that? How much glass do you need for that dream? Yeah. Nowhere near for you. A side greenhouse with glass.

SPEAKER_03 31:28

As long as you choose to stay torture. As long as you don't fly away.

SPEAKER_05 31:54

Like a bite.

SPEAKER_02 31:58

Oh, that was nice. Okay. This is you can do better than me.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

We're starting to feel. We stay together out of fear of dying alone.

SPEAKER_02 32:24

Shout to you long-term couples out there.

SPEAKER_01 32:29

My old slipping. Get out the life alert.

SPEAKER_03 32:35

So they hang like ghost.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

My old clothes have been. Shout out to the aging, which is all of us really think about this true.

Track 3: No Sunlight

SPEAKER_03 32:50

I fall in love every day. I feel like a fool. I have to face the truth. And no one could ever look at me like you do. Like I'm something. Holding on. There's times I think it's good like Christmas song.

SPEAKER_01 33:29

Yeah. But something I It's got a little jingle to it. Yeah, you're right. It does.

SPEAKER_03 33:38

But I can't do better than you.

SPEAKER_02 33:41

It's like America. You can do bye bye, Miss American Pie. Oh wow. A little bit.

SPEAKER_03 33:49

I can't do better than you.

SPEAKER_01 33:54

And my soul is born in 1901. It's a glitch in the matrix.

SPEAKER_02 34:03

This is great fine. Fires. This song is fire. Shout out to Jen Alpha.

SPEAKER_03 34:18

Like the end of day. The end of day. The wake-up call to a ransom room sounded like an alarm of impending turnout. To warn us it's only a matter of time.

SPEAKER_00 34:37

Before we are I'm making people happy. Before we are.

SPEAKER_05 35:00

And run off into the hill. Whatever.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

Shout out to Phil Hartman. Yeah, I know. Auntie Sand.

SPEAKER_02 35:14

If I'm gonna get all over clapped about something right now. Let's make it. Yeah, I always kind of legend. Uh Harlan.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

I went strove through a cemetery. Hollywood cemetery in Virginia without presidents. A lot of presents are very Hollywood Celebrity. The Hollywood Hollywood Cemetery. Hollywood Cemetery. I think it's called Richmond.

SPEAKER_02 35:54

Shout out to Richmond. That's wild.

SPEAKER_01 36:02

Gotta put that on my calendar. If you like cemeteries, that's the best. Just get lost in there. Besides New Orleans, obviously. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

Which uh which presidents are buried there?

SPEAKER_03 36:21

Probably like Van the Flame.

SPEAKER_01 36:23

President's Circle.

SPEAKER_02 36:24

Yeah, as Virginia governors, bro, Supreme Court Justice. John Tyler. Oh Tippy Canoe. Is it Tippi Canoe and Tyler too?

SPEAKER_01 36:33

Rather big canopy commonly known as the Bird Kid.

SPEAKER_03 36:36

Watch it all burn away.

SPEAKER_02 36:48

James Monroe. John Tyler. Gotta check that out. Exam. Okay. Anyway, uh the song is fire.

SPEAKER_01 37:04

Fireman.

Track 4: Kath

SPEAKER_02 37:08

Song is so goated.

SPEAKER_01 37:10

Yes. Check the firemen. EMTs out there. People that deal with death sometimes. Hard jobs.

SPEAKER_03 37:45

The firemen were in double ships with prayers for rain on their lips. And they knew it was only a matter of time.

SPEAKER_02 37:59

See sixty five gen alpha slang words and meanings. That's a fun uh brain rot seems to come up a lot. Some brain rot going on here. We have that.

unknown 38:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 38:16

Yeah, some of this album is a little Ohio to me.

SPEAKER_03 38:18

You look so defeated lying down in your nudes.

SPEAKER_01 38:22

I get that. It's just a little cringy. It's expressive, it's it's a good band.

SPEAKER_03 38:30

With a single pillow underneath your single head.

SPEAKER_01 38:44

It's a little more electronic than you got me.

SPEAKER_03 38:52

Now it's in the alley behind your apartment with a sign that says it's free.

SPEAKER_01 39:00

Got a lot of good stuff from the free the free band. Yeah. The three posts.

SPEAKER_03 39:06

More luck with this than me.

SPEAKER_01 39:11

$20 patigonia jacket. Okay, yeah. That was 20 bucks, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:23

Yeah, the organ isn't doing anything for this.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

I hear it. It's kind of dreamy.

SPEAKER_03 39:38

Other side of the mattress unboxed.

SPEAKER_02 39:42

Yeah, I feel yeah. I feel like I'm in bed with them right now. I just I'm not feeling it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 39:49

That's just sick. I'm getting like office like overhead fluorescent lights right now. Huh? I kinda like that little transition there.

SPEAKER_02 40:10

Yeah, the music part of it is actually. Guitar. Yeah. Sure, this isn't easy and I can appreciate the craft of this music.

SPEAKER_03 40:27

It's like you're in some kind of hurry.

SPEAKER_01 40:31

I'll just need to slow down.

SPEAKER_03 40:35

Just say goodbye.

SPEAKER_01 40:38

To say goodbye. Well, isn't that how it works? People that Irish goodbye are more happy, apparently. Because they're content. Okay. With this with our socializing. They're done. Irish goodbye. Yes. We gotta just you know. Goodbye at parties too much, that's what I'm saying. Okay. Just when you're done, you're done. Just uh Yeah. Everybody just says, oh well, hey, let's hang out another time. It's like let's just focus on like this. That's never a good idea. You know, when your breakup is falling apart. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Just the breakups. Yeah. Long division. This is about the water. Yeah, we read something about this.

SPEAKER_03 41:41

Paper building. Echoes that remainder.

SPEAKER_01 41:45

The remainder. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 41:48

Echoes that remainder.

SPEAKER_03 41:49

Both friends and lovers.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 41:52

Features bleeding. Together in his brain. Oh, oh, oh, oh, you just always distract.

SPEAKER_01 42:08

Oh, oh, oh.

SPEAKER_03 42:10

But the very tension. Of an open.

SPEAKER_05 42:23

Oh, oh, oh, before main.

SPEAKER_01 42:32

Long division. Remain.

SPEAKER_02 42:38

It's so clever. So clever. After like three or four years, though you did you know it's like, uh yeah, I can't.

Track 5: Talking Bird

SPEAKER_01 42:47

Actually, long division one more time. I do like this one, I think. It is a tough sort of story. Oh, oh, oh. It's a lot. It's a lot of people. It's a little more cowbell. Oh, yeah. Slightly more. Got that rocked at the end.

SPEAKER_02 44:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:58

More cowbell. Um order of operations. Uh get it. Uh yeah, you had that. Okay. You had that, didn't you? No, I don't I just hey just thought of it. Oh. We're going somewhere. Somewhere else.

SPEAKER_05 45:23

Could have used a little more cowbell.

SPEAKER_01 45:31

This is hitting uh some international vibes. Yeah. Space Odyssey vibes too.

SPEAKER_00 45:42

Well, I don't think you understand something, Dave. I don't I don't want this stuff.

SPEAKER_01 45:46

Dave, Max. Open the open the pod main doors. Open the pod paid doors.

SPEAKER_05 45:55

I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

SPEAKER_02 46:01

Shout out to our AI overlords. I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.

SPEAKER_01 46:11

Get the chalk out. Alright. Rice all over around your door. 010101. Should be spinning.

SPEAKER_03 46:30

Ravine.

SPEAKER_01 46:31

Ravine? Like a grapevine ravine? Oh. Whoa, we got a storm here? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 46:46

A storm at sea. I sung.

SPEAKER_01 46:59

Oh no.

SPEAKER_03 47:00

I store I would never go. You can stand in play. You can't tell who's walking away.

SPEAKER_05 47:14

You see the grin when your ship comes in and you've got the stock market beats. The man worthwhile. The man who can smile. But his shorts aren't too tight in the seat. McQueen? No, McQueen.

SPEAKER_01 48:01

Did he push or did he fall? That's a good question. I really like this electronic guitar staff. It's tough.

SPEAKER_02 49:09

I agree though, here's the jamming. It's like more, it's more, it's more. Everything's laid on top. It's chaos. Oh, what happened? Oh. Oh, geez. We're right in the middle of the jammy. Let's get back. Okay, we're back on track.

SPEAKER_01 49:47

We just went around the world once. Yeah. Time space. Yeah, we're at the speed of light. Yeah, that wasn't a technical difficulty.

SPEAKER_02 50:10

So blown away by this. So you just wreck.

SPEAKER_05 50:19

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 50:27

I'm just a kid.

SPEAKER_01 50:36

Oh that's that's what it did.

SPEAKER_02 50:38

Yeah. It just goes out. Oh, so we got We got that. That speaks to how good the song was. I I thought I was like, oh wait, we gotta let's go back. It was worth listening to it again.

Track 7: Grapevine Fires

SPEAKER_03 50:56

We're not the same. Oh I'm getting a little bit clammy. Louis stayed by its side as the days turn into weight. And the eyes can't get getting there.

SPEAKER_02 52:07

Is there anybody out there?

SPEAKER_01 52:10

Not with this song, no, there's no one out there.

SPEAKER_03 52:13

When we were taken by surprise when the flows and nothing was left for you and me.

SPEAKER_02 53:01

Joey and Rachel. Joey and Rachel. What do you think for more? Like what is it? Is it more heartbreaking for him or her?

SPEAKER_01 53:17

Same IQ. Yeah. Same but different in other ways. Yeah. There's another one in the show.

SPEAKER_02 53:26

I knew what you meant.

SPEAKER_03 53:29

Under me. We both truly scale me. And the eyes were scared.

SPEAKER_01 57:11

I don't like you can do better than me. I'm just getting great. That one is a little weird. That was weird.

SPEAKER_02 57:40

Thank you so much for listening.