Death Cab for Cutie are forecasted to take the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart next week with their sophomore album Narrow Stairs. In its first day of release (Tuesday, May 13), the album sold 54,000 copies, while Jason Mraz’s album We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things moved 21,000 copies in its first day.
Billboard reports that Death Cab will likely sell 135,000 – 145,000 copies of Narrow Stairs this week, plenty enough for them to secure No. 1 placement.
Death Cab for Cutie’s last album, 2005’s Plans—their first major label release—won a Grammy, was certified platinum, and peaked at No. 4 on Billboard 200.
“I feel like the same things a lot of people like about [Narrow Stairs], a lot of people will take issue with—and that’s totally fine,” frontman Ben Gibbard told MTV this month. “I’m really at peace with anybody’s take on this album, because we had such a great time making it. I feel like there is an honesty and inspiration on the album that’s undeniable. And even more undeniable is the fact that nobody can come at us and say that we didn’t try to do something different.”
Check out the video for Death Cab's first single, "I Will Possess Your Heart":