Customer Reviews

Codes And Keys

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In 2005, Death Cab For Cutie made a move that, according to some, was the biggest mistake of their career; they switched from indie label Barsuk to Atlantic. Whether or not this is true, many indie bands have experienced backlash from fans from making such moves; just ask former indie darling Liz Phair and to a much lesser degree, Modest Mouse. Death Cab frontman, Ben Gibbard, however, could not be less concerned with such an issue. In the current issue of Spin magazine, he stated, "Some people were like, `I'll never buy their records again.' Good, don't buy our records! If the only reason you listened to our band is that we're on an indie label, that's totally ridiculous."

Certainly the last two major label releases from Death Cab were not bad records. They were a step down from the classic We Have the Facts And We're Voting Yes and Transatlanticism albums, but would another indie release have been able to hold its ground with those records anyway? Plus, a lot has changed for Gibbard since those recordings. He has stopped drinking, started running, and married musician/actress Zooey Deschanel. In short, Gibbard is, dare I say, happy. So has all of this affected the overall sound of Death Cab For Cutie on their seventh proper album (and third for Atlantic), Codes And Keys? Yes and no.

First of all, if you are looking for the saddening, heartbreaking lyrics you have come to expect, you may find yourself slightly disappointed. Gone are the, "I will hold a candle up to you to singe your skin. Brace yourself: I'm bent with bitterness," and the, "Yeah, you are beautiful but you don't mean a thing to me" lyrics. Now, the band encourages you not to let sadness overcome you. In "You Are A Tourist," Gibbard suggests, "When there's a burning in your heart and you think it'll burst apart, oh, there's nothing to fear. Save the tears. Save the tears." In fact, the album ends with, "Oh how I feel alive and through winters advancing we'll stay young go dancing." Whereas happy lyrics are certainly not a bad thing, if your heart is set on alcohol drenched suffering, the album may not make the delivery you're hoping for.

Sonically, if you thought this might be a return to the lo-fi Something About Airplanes days, once again, you might find yourself in want. The sound of the record is definitely Death Cab and most of the songs have the piano/guitar marriage you've come to expect. Vocally, Gibbard is unmistakable as ever. "Unobstructed Views" has slight "Transatlanticism" feel to it with its piano that continues to softly build as the song progresses through its 6+ minutes. "Doors Unlocked And Open" begins with an minute and half intro jam reminiscent of 2008's "I Will Possess Your Heart." Songs such as, "Codes And Keys," "Some Boys," and "Monday Morning" possess the traditional Death Cab mid tempo beats that warrant a foot tapping here and there.

Overall, this album is not dramatically different from Plans and Narrow Stairs; however, it is very much able to stand its own ground. In fact, Codes And Keys could have just as easily followed The Photo Album and Transatlanticism as well, if not better than Plans did. If you've come to embrace the band's more polished and produced sound and don't mind a set of happy lyrics, you will do just fine with this album. If you are still hoping for a return the late 90s and early 2000s, maybe you should just skip this one and give an earlier Death Cab LP a spin.

I saw Death Cab in '06 at the Cradle in Carrboro, NC. Since then I've been a big fan and followed their music closely. I was really excited to listen to Codes And Keys, but unsure of what to expect after reading the Spin mag article where Gibbard said the new cd would reflect where he is in life. He's emotionally matured and put his hard-partying days behind. In a nutshell, he stopped drinking and married actress Zooey Deschanel.

I've listened to the the cd streaming for the last week and I'm glad to report Gibbard's life may have changed, but the music is just as good as it's always been. I'll admit the cd is a departure from the band's typical fare. Usually I think Death Cab and I think of somber or dark songs like "I Will Possess Your Heart" from Narrow Stairs. This isn't the case with this cd, which is less melancholy than previous albums. In past albums Death Cab's fantastic guitar work has been front and center. With this cd, the band has taken their original guitar sound and enhanced it. I love the prominent addition of piano as well as electronics, in particular the song "Home Is A Fire." The band even adds a string section in "Codes and Keys."
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Gibbard took experiences from his collaborative electronic work with Postal Serivce/Dntel and injected his own take on electronic music into this DCFC album. This cd grabbed my attention quickly and each listen reveals more depth and meaning of the songs. The band is growing up, but not showing its age. This album is bold, beautifully produced and a must purchase for any DCFC fan.

Death Cab for Cutie do dramatic emotionalism better than just about any American Band working this turf today. Gloomy Guy Ben Gibbards still sings like a depressed teenage poet, and the rest of the band swirl behind him in a vortex of murk. "Codes and Keys" maintains the forward thinking experimentation of 2008's "Narrow Stairs," but you're still going to recognize these songs as Death Cab as soon as you hear them.

What "Codes and Keys" does do is push harder for atmosphere. The guitars are pushed back in the production to make way for webs of synthesizers and echoing keyboards. When it works, like on "Doors Unlocked and Open," you start wondering if DCFC has been poking around the Eno or Roxy Music albums. But when the decide to let guitars run the song ("You Are a Tourist," the best song here), it makes you wish they would have spent a bit more time on "Codes and Keys" being straightforward. Something they do at the album's closing, "Stay Young, Go Dancing," perhaps the first time the band has ever recorded a genuine love song.

This is easily the most convoluted production the band (and long time producer Chris Walla) have ever attempted. Ben Gibbard, in particular, is processed through all sorts of effects, not always to his benefit. The musical experimentation that led to things like the extended opening to "I Will Possess Your Heart" or the gentle "Grapevine Fires" is replaced by more atmosphere and studio gimmickry. "Codes and Keys" is still a fine album, maybe even more Postal Service than DCFC, and I hope the pull the reins back towards simplicity for the next album.

Sorry for my strange title to this review, but that's what exactly i felt listening to Code and Keys on IPOD and the headsets on.....I have all other albums by DCFC in my shelf and Codes and Keys is the latest entrant. Many have talked about the transition in their sound in this latest album, but I feel, the album's as great as their previous offerings. I shall highly recommend this album to anybody who appreciates good, quality music, not necessarily being a DCFC fan. Great song writing, elegant tunes and instrumentation comprising of guitars, synth and nice beats and vocals, the album has every hallmark of the DCFC sound, particularly from their 'Transatlanticism' fame, the song 'tiny vessels' is my favourite from that album.........talking of Codes and Keys, be surprised by the song Home is a Fire, its a classic, You're a Tourist is already a hit and well known, but check out 'Under the Sycamore'. and I can assure you, the rest of the tracks are equally good too. There is a subtle beauty in being melancholy, that's where the best sound comes out, as is evident from their earlier fares, but this album is a balance between being cute and dead...........so, sit back, spin the disc, and enjoy :)

For me, DCFC is pretty hit or miss: there's more miss than hit on this album. I bought it mainly for the single "You Are a Tourist," thinking that, like their other CDs I have, I'd love more than half the album once I heard it. Not so much. Of all their work, "Plans" is still my favorite. I'm just not that crazy about this album. "You Are a Tourist" is so good, though, it makes it worthwhile to explore some of their other, less mainstream-sounding music.

My review is coming from the context of not being a Death Cab fan. In fact, while having heard of them, I had never heard any of their music before. So I didn't have any expectations coming in to this album. It took a few listens to warm up to it, but I think this is a really great album, well worth purchasing. The songwriting is spectacular. They are using some 80's sounds like everyone else these days, but they digest them and own the sounds. It doesn't sound forced or ironic. I'm not the type to listen to the same thing over and over, but this has been in quite constant rotation; I go to switch the album and I think "oh, well maybe I listen to Codes and Keys one more time".

Death Cab for Cutie has gone through a R.E.M. type of development. From small and slightly scruffy to well crafted indie pop songs. From a mediocre post-grunge group they became one of alternative rock's shining beacons. Codes & Keys is their New Adventures In Hi-Fi: an album that goes into a new direction but not one that's immediately a better directions. Granted, Codes & Keys still has some songs that are instant indiedisco hits like "You Are A Tourist" with it's incredible guitar riff. But in songs like "Doors Unlocked and Open" a certain something is missing. Were Gibbard and consorts always able to touch some emotion , the steady beat and staccato guitar leading into to a halfbaked chorus gives us nothing lasting. The aforementioned "You Are A Tourist, the steady and mellow "Monday Morning", jumpy "Portable Televion" end closer "Stay Young, Go Dancing" fortunately lift the album slightly above the mediocre music coming out these days, but DTFC have for now lost touch with indie rock teens.

It's been over three years since Death Cab For Cutie released their last album, and while it's been too long, "Codes and Keys" has been well worth the wait! This is also a departure from their last album, "Narrow Stairs," with a lot less guitars and much more keyboards. Underneath slicker production and the diminished guitar usage are the same melodies and introspective, angsty songwriting, only this time the band may come off as occasionally happy. It sounds like the next step in the band's growth and I love it. "Home is a Fire" starts things off with Chris Walla's piano correlating beautifully with Ben Gibbard's voice, creating what is arguably the most controlled piece of music on the record. Sweeping effects and instrumental complexity propel "Some Boys" as Gibbard sings in rhymes over the intricate instrumentation on this musically multifaceted highlight. The stunning single "You Are a Tourist" seems to get better with every listen, with the guitars complimenting the top-notch dazzling performance. "Underneath the Sycamore" refers to a grisly car crash nightmare. "Stay Young, Go Dancing" is classic Death Cab from start to finish: an acoustic guitar, Gibbard's picturesque lyrical prowess, and a sing-along-inciting vocal performance. There is not one filler song present and I would highly recommend this to anyone!

Death Cab has set the bar really high with most of their previous albums, so it's difficult to evaluate their new stuff without a comparison. As a stand-alone piece, "Codes and Keys" is a nice album with well written songs. However, when viewed from the perspective of knowing what Death Cab is capable of, it will leave you wanting. Most songs on this album will make you pause and say to yourself, "hey, this sounds a lot like that track from [insert previous Death Cab album here]." The lyrics are as heartfelt and deep as ever, but the music seems recycled. I've been conditioned to expect better from this band.

3.5 Stars

I am not quite sure what happened with this effort, but I have to be honest and say several of the songs on this album are downright sleep inducing. Unobstructed Views and Home is a Fire are the biggest culprits... I think the biggest problem is they aren't really fully fleshed out songs. They feel like echoes of Postal Service songs but they never really go anywhere. I think part of the problem is the lyrics are too repetitive, which is a surprise considering Gibbard's strength is his lyrical prowess (maybe this is because he's trying to be positive?) But DCFC fans need not despair, there are some very strong songs I would recommend including Codes and Keys, St. Peter's Cathedral (A slower song that actually sounds like a fully developed song), Some Boys, Monday Morning and You Are a Tourist.

Overall, I like this album better than Narrow Stairs, but after the brilliant Open Door EP, I am surprised this album lacks the same energy. I personally think DCFC is at its best when Gibbard sticks to the witty lyrics that have brought them this far (Little Bribes is genius!). I applaud the effort to go in a less depressing, more positive direction, but that doesn't mean DCFC still can't have a little fun along the way.