10
Monday, May 19, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
DEATH CAB
From Page 9
track's overextended intro - com-
plete with a low, repetitive bassline
and slices of piano keys - is one of
the album's most ambitious devia-
tions, taking the typically quirky
pop band to uncharted musical ter-
ritory. The cut's dark and forebod-
ing introduction fits perfectly with
its theme of unrequited attraction,
creating an atypically dusky atmo-
sphere notnnormally associated with
the upbeat band.
Another experimental attempt
is heard on the prog-rock-inspired
track "Pity and Fear." Continuing
the album's dark theme, the track
exhibits a groovy synth-based intro,
followed by a consistent drum beat
and sharp guitar strings. It's sole
failing is the unnecessarily abrupt
ending. Gibbard and company may
have fancied themselves producers
of "The Sopranos," but this sudden
ending nearly ruins what is one of
Death Cab's best works; a simple
fade to silence would have been
more appropriate.
Of course, the album doesn't miss
the typical quirky tracks that put
Death Cab on the indie radar this
past decade. Along with the afore-
mentioned "Your Twin Sized Bed,"
the LP is brimming with the quint-
essential post-breakup pop tracks
found splattered across the band's
long back catalogue. These cuts
range from the simple and unde-
niably easy-going ("No Sunlight,"
"You Can Do Better Than Me") to
more old-school tracks, reminis-
cent of the band's Photo Album-
era ("Cath...," "Long Division").
Although these songs add balance
to the album's more obscure tracks,
they also show the band's unwill-
ingness to completely sever ties to
its sunnier, pop-orientated past.
It would have been interesting to
see the band take an entirely new
direction musically, major record
label be damned. As a compro-
mise, Narrow Stairs shows Death
Cab's capacity to experiment with
new sounds albeit still churning
out poppy hits. The end result is
certainly a change of pace for the
band, but seasoned Death Cab fans
will appreciate the band's desire to
branch out while reaching for new
musical horizons.
GTA4
From Page 9
There are a few hiccups that
prevent the game from achiev-
ing absolute perfection. The
targeting system is decent,
but still a bit sketchy, and the
awkwardly timed bullet delay
makes sniping almost worth-
less. Popping out from behind
cover is also flawed, and often
times feels like a glitchy and
unfinished aspect of gameplay.
But don't expect the "Grand
Theft Auto" series to go down
anytime soon, as this latest
chapter is a revolution as big
as "III"- a real step forward
in storytelling and immersion.
"GTA IV" is undoubtedly the
game of the year, and is one for
the ages.tThe question isn't if
you should buy and play it, but
whether you'll be able to stop.
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