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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gorgeous EP, March 12, 2004
The Stability EP is perhaps the most controversial release in the Death Cab catalog. Although it came out around the time of The Photo Album (appearing in original pressings), it abandoned that album's more propulsive nature and retreated to a sound somewhere along the lines of We Have The Facts... as seen through the eyes of Low. The title track is perhaps the most controversial of the tunes here, moving at well past the 12 minute mark. And although the latter portion of the song is a single guitar line repeated over and over, there are some gorgeous building synth swells the add a sort-of epic quality to the tune. And that guitar line is simple, but pretty anyway. If anything drags, it might be "20th Century Towers," but when in the right mood, the track works wonders. Best of all is an excellent cover of Bjork's "All Is Full Of Love," a cover that reminds one of the original only in the sense of melody. But Death Cab makes it completely there own. I'm usually not a fan of covers, but this is everything a cover should be. If there's a hole in your Death Cab collection, purchase this nice EP.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent EP focuses on limited-release songs, January 5, 2003
Let me start off by saying that some folks gripe about this EP dragging on, especially the closing title track. I don't think this is the case, but I'll get to that in a moment.The Stability EP gathers the three tracks that only appeared on the initial pressing (and Japanese release) of their record The Photo Album, providing an easier way for folks to get ahold of these tracks. Yeah, there are only three tracks here, but the playing time of the EP clocks in around three minutes. Music-wise, the album seems to focus around the slower (make that slowest) aspects of the band, hinted at on The Photo Album. Sure, Death Cab's sophomore album, We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes, definitely takes its time as a whole, but this is different in such a way I can't really put a finger on it. The EP opens up with "20th Century Towers," which barely crawls along at any pace whatsoever. This isn't bad, either. The left/right channel guitar interplay between Ben Gibbard and Chris Walla, especially at the end of the song, is quite captivating, as is the sole instance the entire band chimes in for an a capella line. For any DCFC fan who is used to the faster, fuzzier tracks of days past, this is a shocking and somewhat pleasant experience. Next up is a cover of Björk's "All is Full of Love." The band does the song justice, though not much is changed. This tracks is the most propulsive on the EP, mostly in part to recently-departed drummer Michael Schorr's flurriful drum beat (using toms and brushes to a great effect). The final song, "Stability," seems to be the track that irks most reviewers off. This tune is close to 12 minutes, with over half of it focused on the same melody played over and over and over. This might be off-putting at first, but the song eventually gets itself burrowed into your skull until it won't leave. After Gibbard's 30-some second piano intro, the track plods along with vocals (backing vox thanks to labelmate John Vanderslice, who adds some nice Juno synth to the track too). The song eventually coasts to a sadly beautiful guitar line that continues for...well...quite some time. Basically, these are three great songs that might take some getting used to. If you don't enjoy anything that isn't "peppy," then steer clear of this EP. Anyone else will probably be rewarded with a collection of songs that serve as a great counterpoint to Death Cab's faster material.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb EP - practically perfect, September 3, 2002
If you were unlucky enough not to get a copy of The Photo Album CD that included the 3 songs on this EP, it is definitely worth your while to purchase it. Much like The Forbidden Love EP as compared to We Have the Facts..., this EP expands upon the music of the full length in an incredibly compelling way for such a short collection of songs."20th Century Towers" kicks off the album, a slow, subdued and truly beautiful song that finds Ben Gibbard in top form with his voice emoting through lines like "and yet it still remains, this incessant refrain."
"All is Full of Love", the Bjork cover, is the reason I purchased the album, and is worth the price on its own. I must admit I'm at most a casual fan of Bjork's and have never heard the original, but the way Death Cab handles it is brilliant and is easily one of their best tunes. "Stability", the 13-minute closer, does take a while to gets used to. It begins with a 4-minute piano-backed Death Cab song, slow and beautiful, and then evolves into a wordless piano and drums musical that repeats a similar beat over the lengthy remainder of the song. On the first few listens, this seemed to be the weak point of the EP, since not much original is offered beyond the beginning of the track, but on subsequent experiences, this song really grows into a strength, sweeping over your senses quietly, almost like a Low album. It really is just as wonderful as the other tracks, and makes this one of the best EPs I own. I even dare to say I like it more than Forbidden Love, although it's close. I've owned it for more than 6 months and still listen to it quite often, something I can't even say for the Photo Album itself, or very few albums of any length, for that matter.
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