We're promised gold, we get myrrh

Death cab bring out a new ep, the indie world breaths in as if the world will come to a stop, breathes out as the world keeps turning.

There was a time that any new music from death cab was a gift from heaven to anyone remotely interested in the band, they were compelling. A live recording of broken yoke, ben covering avril lavigne. The e.p's were legendary, forbidden love, stability, even the john byrd ep which had no new music on was met with reverence, so-

Death cab are bringing out a new ep, this one called "open door" which is a line from both a track off narrow stairs and a song no this one, just like directions and plans were utterances from songs. I kinda don't want to write this blog but i've been a fan of these guys for 7 years, seen them a dozen times, bought many a girlfriend transatlanticsm. This is to say- I feel obliged.

Which is the same reason I checked stereogum every day as the tracks seeped through onto their blog and is the same reason why every day I fall out of love a little bit more.

Little Bribes

A new track?! A NEW TRACK FROM DEATH CAB?!... No, it's an old track which ben's decided to call something else, once again a line from the song. Certainly the worst titled song in their catalogue and when he played this (casino blues) on his solo tour and people were worried he was going to put it on the album (because it was so shit) it was labelled their worst song, until he left it off the album and there was hope. But remember death cab are on a major label now, they are going to have every song sucked out of them, examples being a studio version of broken yoke in western sky, that duet with leslie feist oh and this e.p.

A Diamond And A Tether

First time I heard this i got so bored I didn't bother listening to the whole track, I forgot i was listening to death cab and just closed the tab because it was so benale and jejune. The rhythm of this song is soooo dull and you remember when ben used to write amazing lyrics? Well fuck that they've got records to sell. Yummy cliches in this song "i know you can't..." "waiting for..." "just to..." "waits for it to..." "... again". I wish I hated death cab so I would enjoy writing this review. I can't believe this but I don't want this song on my ipod :(

My Mirror Speaks

This track IS better. Apparently co-written by nick harmer and probably owes that to it's driving rhythm. The lyrics are less sparse and as far as ben gibbard is concerned that's awesome and they're of a better quality here too. A testament to this track is that I played it 5 times in a row... But then I played soul meets body about a 100 times when that was leaked from that radio station before plans ha

I Was Once A Loyal Lover Just as good as the previous track, probably better, this could actually be played live, I really wouldn't mind them opening up a show with this. It's quite crystalline and cutting musically, the lyrics are still a bit "narrow stairs" in that they don't really get you thinking, they just are what they are. "my friends are so forward thinking, getting married and quitting drinking" yeah that's just the way things go plus i HATE that he forced the thinking/drinking rhyme. Makes me sick. Otherwise this is a good track, I think this E.P- is what it is!

Talking Bird (Demo)

When Narrow stairs was being hyped we got these legendary rumours of tracks that ben wrote on basic instruments with just vocals and took them to the guys and blew their minds... We realised when the "no sunlight" demo was released that these were apocryphal tales but with the promise of talking bird (without a doubt the worst death cab song ever) on a ukelele, hope?! The answer, is no. The lyrics are as vomit inducing as ever and whoever didn't tell paul mccartney the ukelele is an annoying instrument has also failed here.

So i conclusion i give the EP 3/5, I can't give it 4 because that means it's good and I just can't bring myself to give it 2 :(

I thought once around the time of transatlantiscm that if Death cab kept writing albums as great as this and all the previous ones they're going to be one of the most important bands in modern history. Naive maybe, but either way it didn't happen. I might have to do a post on why death cab 1998-2005 were amazing.