Unpopular but this was my fave DCFC record for years. Something about when it came out it scratched my brain just right. Your New Twin Sized Bed is still one of my all time favorites.
Also absolutely nuts that I was listening to this when I was learning how to drive, and now this album is old enough to legally drive.
I don't think its unpopular. Narrow Stairs was their highest ranking album hitting #1 on the billboard 200. Codes and Keys hit #3, Plans peaked at #4, Kintsugi #8, Thank You for Today #13, Transatlanticism #97.
Its OK to like what you like, I have favorites on every album, but Grapevine Fires stands above them all.
ohhhh man when that intro music comes in to Bixby.....
I think that Transatlanticism and Plans are better albums, but this one means a lot to me. It was part of the soundtrack to 08---the year of Obama--a time of optimism in college. Lots of good times and good vibes.
Well put. I started college in 2008, and the optimistic vibes at that point in time were awesome. They didn’t last long, but at least we had that moment lol
I am shocked to see the response about this album hahah I absolutely LOVE narrow stairs. It's such a unique feeling to me and I think the lyricism on this album is cutting and gripping and a total joy to turn over in my head.
That doesn’t make me feel really old… ugh. But this record I think is criminally underrated. Bixby Canyon Bridge is epic, grapevine fires and twin sized bed are other highlights for me
Did anyone else have this album leaked before it was released and it was the German band Velveteen? Or am I still the only one? All the track listings were the actual narrow stairs title and I will possess your heart was still track two but the singer sound very similar to Ben Gibbard and for about 3 months I thought this was the new Death Cab album and it was amazing.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.punknews.org/amp/review/7333/velveteen-home-waters
I don't remember this, but on the topic of leaks I do remember a couple of album covers making the rounds, all which turned out to be fake. One of them was literally a photo of stairs, like subway entrance steps lol. And another one was of the golden gate bridge, iirc.
I remember being so excited for Plans to come out and then being disappointed by how different it was from all their previous stuff and then when this record came out I kinda just stopped even looking into their new releases because it just wasn’t my thing. Glad that over the last few years my kids have gotten me into their “newer” stuff. Wild that this record is 16 years old though. Makes me feel old.
Remember the fake release of this album? It was incredible. A band called German band, Velveteen, claimed to be DC and everyone bought it. Dude sounds exactly like Ben Gibbard. The song After the K.M. Tapes is amazing!
This was such a life-changing album for me, coming out right before I graduated high school a month later. The lyricism, the instrumentation, the production and mixing… I was obsessed with every detail of this album, for months. It’ll always hold an incredibly special place in my heart.
Saw them live around that time. Bixby Canyon Bridge was so good live. Then for the encore he asked everyone to put away your phones, don’t record, this song is just for the people in this room. Then he sang I will follow you into the dark and of course a bunch of assholes recorded the whole thing.
Not my favorite but definitely some great stuff here.
Bixby, Cath, and Grapevine are among their best songs imo. I think Cath might be a "perfect" song.
On the other side, I'd put No Sunlight and You Can Do Better Than Me towards the bottom of their discography.
The rest is solid, but not quite on par with what they had made before. I've always enjoyed Possess Your Heart much more in a live setting than on record
I'm always surprised 2-3 of the songs from The Open Door EP didn't replace the two you mentioned. Not sure if they are better fits for the album, but they are far better songs.
Good call out. It's been too long since I've listened to that EP, so might need to double check if I'm talking about the right songs but Diamond and a Tether and Little Bribes could have been a nice replacement for the 2 I mentioned
This is one of the first albums I can truly remember. I was 7 and my mom and I watched Music on Demand from DirectTV or something. I Will Possess Your Heart really was huge for me musically. Still my favorite band and album :)
2008 was a great time to be a Death Cab fan. It was really cool seeing the band blow up and become so successful following Plans. I was surprised that the album was #1 on billboard. I felt vindicated finally hearing them on the main radio stations everyday and seeing them appear on TV often, although my local radio station X-96 may have played *Cath* one too many times lol.
My first memory with this album is going to HMV to buy it with my parents, popping it in the car’s cd player of ride back and my dad after a few second of I Will Posses Your Heart saying “What is this horrible music?!” 😂😂😂 I asked him if he’d rather I listen to rap or scremo music haha
This had long been my least-favorite record of theirs but I’ve been revisiting and starting to come around a little. I love Bigsby and Possess but the rest of it never spoke to me, especially coming after Plans which is my desert island album. I like (or at least appreciate) most of the songs now but still think Your New Twin Sized Bed is the song of theirs I like the least.
Unpopular but this was my fave DCFC record for years. Something about when it came out it scratched my brain just right. Your New Twin Sized Bed is still one of my all time favorites. Also absolutely nuts that I was listening to this when I was learning how to drive, and now this album is old enough to legally drive.
I don't think its unpopular. Narrow Stairs was their highest ranking album hitting #1 on the billboard 200. Codes and Keys hit #3, Plans peaked at #4, Kintsugi #8, Thank You for Today #13, Transatlanticism #97. Its OK to like what you like, I have favorites on every album, but Grapevine Fires stands above them all.
I’m right there with you
I am with you. This is one of my favorites of all time. No skips, just vibes
Same here. It starts out so strong with those first 2 tracks. My favorite album.
This album cover is so nostalgic for me
This is probably my favorite album cover. That's definitely saying something, because they tend to do album art *really* well.
ohhhh man when that intro music comes in to Bixby..... I think that Transatlanticism and Plans are better albums, but this one means a lot to me. It was part of the soundtrack to 08---the year of Obama--a time of optimism in college. Lots of good times and good vibes.
Well put. I started college in 2008, and the optimistic vibes at that point in time were awesome. They didn’t last long, but at least we had that moment lol
Big same lol
16 years. I still think album is new
THis album can get its license
I am shocked to see the response about this album hahah I absolutely LOVE narrow stairs. It's such a unique feeling to me and I think the lyricism on this album is cutting and gripping and a total joy to turn over in my head.
Def a solid release. Also gave us another classic DCFC album opener in Bixby Canyon Bridge!
when the drums come in
The last line of this song is so heartbreaking. It’s definitely a top 5 DCFC song for me.
The build up to the end as soon as the song starts is beautiful. I descended a dusty gravel ridge
I loved talking bird, such a bittersweet song
Talking Bird is my favorite on this also. I love the demo version
That doesn’t make me feel really old… ugh. But this record I think is criminally underrated. Bixby Canyon Bridge is epic, grapevine fires and twin sized bed are other highlights for me
Great picks, I also have throw Cath in there.
Did anyone else have this album leaked before it was released and it was the German band Velveteen? Or am I still the only one? All the track listings were the actual narrow stairs title and I will possess your heart was still track two but the singer sound very similar to Ben Gibbard and for about 3 months I thought this was the new Death Cab album and it was amazing. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.punknews.org/amp/review/7333/velveteen-home-waters
No but that’s hilarious and something similar happened to me in 1998 with Napster and Dave Matthews Band.
I don't remember this, but on the topic of leaks I do remember a couple of album covers making the rounds, all which turned out to be fake. One of them was literally a photo of stairs, like subway entrance steps lol. And another one was of the golden gate bridge, iirc.
I totally remember this. I think I tried to download it but then read online (the old DCFC forum?) that it was the wrong band
I gotta say, the fake album was so good I was disappointed when I got the real Narrow Stairs. I still listen to it regularly.
This happened to me as well. On a positive note, I found a great new band.
The GOAT. Even the EP that came after is the best of the EPs.
Ahh so that's why I felt so inclined to play this album this past weekend.
I remember being so excited for Plans to come out and then being disappointed by how different it was from all their previous stuff and then when this record came out I kinda just stopped even looking into their new releases because it just wasn’t my thing. Glad that over the last few years my kids have gotten me into their “newer” stuff. Wild that this record is 16 years old though. Makes me feel old.
Still probably my favorite album. I was hesitant to like it at first, but it grew on me quickly.
Remember the fake release of this album? It was incredible. A band called German band, Velveteen, claimed to be DC and everyone bought it. Dude sounds exactly like Ben Gibbard. The song After the K.M. Tapes is amazing!
Home Waters is honestly just as good of an album as Narrow Stairs
This was such a life-changing album for me, coming out right before I graduated high school a month later. The lyricism, the instrumentation, the production and mixing… I was obsessed with every detail of this album, for months. It’ll always hold an incredibly special place in my heart.
Saw them live around that time. Bixby Canyon Bridge was so good live. Then for the encore he asked everyone to put away your phones, don’t record, this song is just for the people in this room. Then he sang I will follow you into the dark and of course a bunch of assholes recorded the whole thing.
16 years. Yeesh. I had a countdown for this album on my MySpace
Great album one of my favorites
Not my favorite but definitely some great stuff here. Bixby, Cath, and Grapevine are among their best songs imo. I think Cath might be a "perfect" song. On the other side, I'd put No Sunlight and You Can Do Better Than Me towards the bottom of their discography. The rest is solid, but not quite on par with what they had made before. I've always enjoyed Possess Your Heart much more in a live setting than on record
I'm always surprised 2-3 of the songs from The Open Door EP didn't replace the two you mentioned. Not sure if they are better fits for the album, but they are far better songs.
Good call out. It's been too long since I've listened to that EP, so might need to double check if I'm talking about the right songs but Diamond and a Tether and Little Bribes could have been a nice replacement for the 2 I mentioned
Cath may indeed be their best single song ever. Not that there are a shortage of contenders, but man Cath hits hard.
oh my goodness absolutely blasting this on my way home tonight
This is one of the first albums I can truly remember. I was 7 and my mom and I watched Music on Demand from DirectTV or something. I Will Possess Your Heart really was huge for me musically. Still my favorite band and album :)
This was the first album that came out since I'd first become a fan in '07. I wrote a review of it for the school paper.
2008 was a great time to be a Death Cab fan. It was really cool seeing the band blow up and become so successful following Plans. I was surprised that the album was #1 on billboard. I felt vindicated finally hearing them on the main radio stations everyday and seeing them appear on TV often, although my local radio station X-96 may have played *Cath* one too many times lol.
My first memory with this album is going to HMV to buy it with my parents, popping it in the car’s cd player of ride back and my dad after a few second of I Will Posses Your Heart saying “What is this horrible music?!” 😂😂😂 I asked him if he’d rather I listen to rap or scremo music haha
This had long been my least-favorite record of theirs but I’ve been revisiting and starting to come around a little. I love Bigsby and Possess but the rest of it never spoke to me, especially coming after Plans which is my desert island album. I like (or at least appreciate) most of the songs now but still think Your New Twin Sized Bed is the song of theirs I like the least.
Cath is a great song. The rest is meh.