Customer Reviews

The Open Door EP

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This EP is quite a surprise. All 5 tracks are of such high quality, they would be standouts on any Death Cab album. I'm not sure these could be considered "Narrow Stairs" leftovers due to their slightly different production values (but the artwork seems to suggest its a companion to the album, so maybe they are.) Maybe the next album is too far off and they wanted us to get some new tracks, but these would be highlights in ANY bands catalog, so to toss them off on an EP is quite impressive.

"Little Bribes" is one of the most upbeat songs Ben has ever composed. "A Diamond and a Tether" could be a single. It's a real knock out track. "My Mirror Speaks" is maybe the least memorable of the 5 tracks here, but it's still a very good song. Reminds me of another DCFC song I can't quite put my finger on. "I Was Once a Loyal Lover" sounds like a fleshed out All-Time Quarterback song. Really catchy. "Talking Bird" is supposedly a demo, but sounds much better than the album version. The instrumention here really brings out the melody, which is primarily a vocal melody anyways.

A very strong EP that should be purchased by all fans of this outstanding band.

It's been nearly a year since the boys of Death Cab have released any new material. Last years 'Narrow Stairs' peaked the Billboard Top 100 at number one in May, yet garnered mixed reviews from both fans and critics alike. This new EP works as a sort of a 'companion piece' for Narrow Stairs, and is made up of songs that were recorded during the Narrow Stairs sessions, but just didn't 'fit' with the flow of the album. Not including these songs on the album was a good move, in my opinion. That's not saying that this EP is bad, though. The songs work well together, despite their inconsistency.

The album opens with one of the funnest and, dare I say it, blues inspired songs that Death Cab has ever created. 'Little Bribes' is an all around winner, in my book. Gibbard is at his most clever lyrically on this track. You won't be able to help yourself from smiling as he croons, "And you pretend every slot machine is a robot amputee waving hello, as the people stare into their eyes and feed them little bribes, and then they go...". Walla and company are also in prime form in the song. The guitars compliment the drums exceptionally well. McGerr is at his most straight-forward here, as a percussionist. Nothing flashy or technical, just simple and flowing. Not many drummers can pull of what he does as well as he can. Kudos.

'A Diamond And A Tether' seems to be a lot of peoples least favorite track on the album. I have no clue why. Sure it's the most depressing and self-examining, but isn't that what the fans expect (and want) from Death Cab? I know that's what has kept me coming back for all these years. This may be my current favorite, and the only one of the five tracks that I think would have fit nicely on Narrow Stairs. The next track, 'My Mirror Speaks', is probably the most impressive vocally for Gibbard. He displays some amazing falsetto in the chorus, and a pretty infectious groove throughout the entire song. The drums and guitar are also at their best, here. All that aside though, it sort of feels like a song that won't stick with you for very long, and just feels like an average Death Cab track. Which are still very good, mind you.

'I Was Once A Loyal Lover' is by far the most "pop" song included on the album. It displays some very impressive bass work, courtesy of Mr. Jason Harmer, and some pretty sweet 'fuzzy' guitar distortion from Walla...but it all just comes across as kind of weak and average. Still not a bad song, just not an excellent one. They decided to end this little piece of work with a demo version of 'Talking Bird'. Talking Bird is one of my favorites from Narrow Stairs, so I was pretty excited when I saw a demo would be included. On here, it's just Gibbard and a ukelele. I don't think it's quite as powerful as the full band version, but that may be just me. A lot of people seem to disagree. I still get chills as he sings, "It's all here for you, as long as you choose to stay. It's all her for you, as long as you don't fly away." A great ending line for an album, if you ask me.

In conclusion I would like to say that this is FAR from Death Cabs' best work, but still worth shelling out a few bucks for if you're a hardcore fan. ONLY if you're a hardcore fan, I should say. If you are interested in getting into this wonderful band, I would suggest picking yourself up a copy of 'Transatlaticism' or 'Plans'. I still believe 'Photo Album' is their best work, just not the best to start out with. Enjoy this little gem of an EP, but just hope their next full length CD will further expand on this new sound, and refine it.

Death Cab has been on a roll for sure. Their "Narrow Stairs" album crashed in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart last May, and they have toured a lot since then, with great acclaim. Now, almost a year later, the band comes back with an EP.

"The Open Room EP" (5 tracks; 17 min.) brings 4 new tracks that the band recorded at the sessions of the "Narrow Stairs" album but somehow felt where not worthy of/compatible with the rest of the album. "Little Bribes" crashes in as if you were in the middle of an album, and it sounds great. "A Diamond and a Tether" is unremarkable, if pleasant. By far the best track on here is "My Mirror Speaks", an irresistible hum-along, with clapping hands, and the EP is worth buying just for this. "I Once Was a Loyal Lover" is equally great. It's hard to see why most of these tracks were deemed "unworthy" of or "incompatible" for being included on the "Narrow Stairs" album, frankly. The last track is a demo-version of "Talking Bird", just Ben Gibbard and his guitar, and it's actually much better than the album version on "Narrow Stairs".

In all, this is a great companion release to the great "Narrow Stairs" album. I saw DCFC in concert again just this past weekend, and they were in fantastic form. They played 3 of the 4 new songs from this EP and it sounded great. In all, "The Open Door EP" is a must-have for any DCFC fan.

This disc is a companion piece, which is good because it doesn't stand up very well on it's own. There is no innovation or much tonal interest to speak of here, as DCFC have previously produced (Plans), and I'm frankly surprised that this release has as good a rating as it does (a frequent occurence on Amazon). It's musically solid but inherently boring. Not every release can be brilliant, though. This is essentially a money-making release. Check it out at the library if you think you have to hear it.

The Open Door is a great addition 5 songs that continue Death Cab's amazing progression in becoming an amazing musical talent. Four of these five songs are ones that didn't make it onto Narrow Stairs, but don't let that fool you! These are excellent songs; this EP is surely worth it to pick up if you are a fan of Narrow Stairs.

This EP is much more like what we got from Death Cab on Transatlanticism, before they began to get a little more Postal Service and added in more electronic sounds. I would venture to say this is better than its companion album. 5 Great songs that make me hopeful for new material.

First, I give this the full five stars in comparison to contemporary music in general. On a Death Cab only scale, it would receive a three. All of the tracks have high potential, yet none comes to full fruition. "Bribes" changes pace for the better at about 1:30 and should have kept to this theme; "Tether" pauses brilliantly to mirror the protagonist's tense observance of that door; "Mirror" is my standout but should not have stripped down to vocals near the end; "Loyal" gets nice and punchy with the bass and piano, but--and here, I think, is my biggest overarching problem with the EP--Ben shoots too high on his vocal range. "Talking Bird" was not a track I particularly liked on Narrow Stairs, but I think it lends itself well to this ultra-gentle rendition. One more comment on "Mirror": many have written that it sounds like Plans and I must disagree. Ben's voice is 100% Narrow Stairs here, and the other elements of the track recall Photo Album with a less interesting beat. One thing is for sure, Death Cab is not the same, and I admit that I prefer the older works (and by the way, Facts is horribly underappreciated)--but how can anyone expect them to remain the same forever? Maybe the glory days are over, but they're still one of the best bands out there.

Fulfillment was fine on this order, but the record itself appears to suffer from the same issue as many modern, small-run pressings, in that it has issues. In this case, it was warped, and not just a little bit. This is the second, brand new copy of the Open Door I have ordered. The first was not only warped, but pressed eccentric as well. As this one was only warped, and the shipper still hasnt reimbursed shipping on the first copy, I decided to live with it. It doesnt seem to affect playback overmuch, but that's based on a decent tonearm/cartridge combo of Rega's new 303 arm and Exact cartridge. I'm not sure how it would perform on a cheaper or older rig. A shame.

"My Mirror Speaks" is a standout track. I feel it deserved a place on Narrow Stairs. While the rest of the tracks are great, that one is by far the best. Ben's lyrics are quirky, yet good enough to be taken seriously. Over the course of their career, the members of Death Cab for Cutie have not only made original music, but become great what they bring to the band. Ben's lyrics and vocals are top notch, and Chris plays a damn good guitar riff. I'm eagerly awaiting Codes and Keys.

This is my first album from dcfc. I became familiar with dcfc from the radio. The first four songs are currently on my Ipod while I did not care for the 5th song. I accantly ordered it twice so I wound up giving it to my sister and she enjoyed it also.