Search - Death Cab for Cutie :: The Stability EP

Gorgeous EP

Paul H. | USA | 03/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Superb EP - practically perfect

William R. Elenbark | Monmouth Junction, NJ United States | 09/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Has an atmosphere of its own

Frances Lee | Austin, TX United States | 06/09/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this cd after I had listened to and/or bought all of Death Cab for Cutie's full-length releases. I was a little tentative after reading some lukewarm and even bored customer reviews of it, and after listening, I can see why they feel that way. But, for the rest of you patient fans, this is a pretty good EP. I wondered why it cost so much for a 3-track cd (even some singles have more songs than that) and I found the answer in the 12 minute-long "Stability." The songs:
1. "20th Century Towers": Ultimate slo-core! This reminds me of "State Street Residential" for some reason, but it doesn't drag a bit. DCFC's slow songs are always my favorite, because there's beauty in the simple arrangements. Ben's lyrics are always so fitting and oddly moving, as is his fragile voice. The guitar lines are wonderful- they are melodic, but not in the least sugary. The chorus outburst "all around!" was pretty sneaky, though, haha.
2. "All is Full of Love": The DRUMS!! I'm not a fan of Bjork and I haven't heard any of her songs (including the original) but I found this song pleasantly mystic. The mood is a little different from anything DCFC would do and there's a majestic build-up. I like how Ben and the other band member exchange lines. The best part is at the climax, when the everyone drops out but Ben. His voice is so convicting! Might I mention, you'll be singing the line "all is full of love" in your sleep.
3. "Stability": At first, I wasn't too impressed. However, I found the wonder in this song after a few listens. The chorus reminds me a lot of "Prove My Hypothesis." But after, maybe 7 minutes, it just trails off and gently nudges my interest away..
So, buy this if you like pensive, indie, Low-type music. Really buy this if you like Death Cab For Cutie's "We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes." Buy this next if you need to complete your DCFC collection. Buy this with your last [$]. Don't buy this if you only like radio-friendly music."