Uproar began with the group’s 2005 major-label debut “Plans,” which matched the boys’ critical success with the commercial, alienating some longtime listeners while attracting a few new ones. The newest disc, “Narrow Stairs,” is a snapshot of DCFC on the same path, further flinging the group away from its target audience of depressive optimists and into the stadium.
Mixed loyalties kick in with opening track “Bixby Canyon Bridge,” which begins as a sweet, average DCFC track before opening up with thunderous guitars and drums. This is previously unexplored territory for the group, as clear-pitched lead singer Ben Gibbard strains his vocal chords to keep up. This burst of gung-ho energy is refreshing to hear, and sets the pace for a record with more peaks and valleys than previous efforts.
The pace stays powerful with the shuffling groove of first single “I Will Possess Your Heart,” an eight-minute jam where the lack of singing in the first half is made up for with creepy atmospherics, matched by the equally spooky refrain later issued by Gibbard.
From this strong start, the disc remains solid, a testament to the gutsier vision the band has imagined this time out. The rhythmically challenging “Long Division” is one of DCFC’s more sonically adventurous tracks, mixing the rawness of earlier work with the musical proficiency of studio masters. “Pity and Fear” is a hypothetical take on The Postal Service, Gibbard’s techno side project, with a multi-layered drum and bass-style beat unlike anything that has come out of the group before. Tracks like “Your New Twin Sized Bed” and “Grapevine Fires” rely on Gibbard’s strong lyrics and tone — a tenor which is the rock equivalent of a fluffy pillow. In fact, the album’s only missteps are a few tracks, such as “The Ice Is Getting Thinner” and “Talking Bird,” which are too slow to maximize impact.
“Narrow Stairs” is the sound of a group taking full advantage of the increased audience and studio time that a major label deal allows. Although this grandness may alienate some fans, it is sure to draw in an even larger fanbase to compensate.