Billboard CD reviews: Death Cab, Black Angels

ARTIST: DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE

ALBUM: NARROW STAIRS

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Death Cab for Cutie, that poster boy for sensitive indie pop, proves there's some grit behind all that pretty, "OC"-approved music with "Narrow Stairs." The follow-up to 2005's "Plans" provides welcome evidence of growth: The songs here hit with a full-on assault of crunching guitar riffs, distorted, cracked vocals and walls of disorienting feedback. Frontman Ben Gibbard's lyrics visit the moodier and darker corners of his mind. A lumbering bass lingers behind a stalker on the loose on the eight-minute "I Will Possess Your Heart," the guitars driving "Cath ... " venture close to alt-country territory, and "Pity and Fear" grooves with a jungle-like beat. It's still the Death Cab you know and love, just a little rougher around the edges.

ARTIST: THE BLACK ANGELS

ALBUM: DIRECTIONS TO SEE A GHOST (Suretone Records/Light in the Attic)

If you missed the Black Angels' full-length debut, "Passover," in 2006, let this effort be a reminder of your mistake. This troupe cranks out hazy, dark rock 'n' roll -- real, honest-to-God rock 'n' roll -- with disarming ease. From the ominous, churning guitars and moaning toms on opener "You on the Run" to the 16-plus minutes of epic closer "Snake in the Grass," the quartet borrows from the sludgy psych of the Velvet Underground, squeals through the Jesus and Mary Chain and tops it off with singer Alex Maas' creep-tastic, reverb-drenched howl. The breakdowns on songs like "Dee-Ree-Shee" and "You in Color" truly highlight each member's technical and dynamic abilities; the crescendos emphasize their quantum power to make great art as a group.

ARTIST: 3 DOORS DOWN

ALBUM: 3 DOORS DOWN (Universal Republic)

Great rock bands know not only how to shake listeners with thundering guitars, but also how to feed their souls with thoughtful lyrics that echo the complexities of the human experience. 3 Doors Down succeeds powerfully on both levels with this brilliant album. The band's fourth studio set is already off to a great start on radio with the hit "It's Not My Time," just one of 12 memorable tracks: "Train" is a hard-edged anthem about escaping to a better life, and "Citizen Soldier," written at the request of the National Guard to be used in promotional spots, is a musically aggressive and lyrically poignant tribute to those serving in the military. Taut musicianship, well-crafted songs and potent vocals make this a landmark album in an already multiplatinum career.