Death Cab For Cutie: Codes And Keys

Death Cab For Cutie
Codes And Keys
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

Ever since Death Cab For Cutie became popular, as well as Ben Gibbard's side project with Dntel, The Postal Service, the band has been a bit on auto-pilot. Transatlanticism was the last truly great Death Cab record, moving to almost monotony on 2008's Narrow Stairs. The three year wait, in addition to Gibbard's marriage to Zoey Deschanel, seems to have mellowed out the songwriter, and, dare I say it, have made him happy? While there will always be an undercurrent of melancholy on a Death Cab record, this album is decidedly in a major key. Gibbard's also allows his work with Postal Service to be a greater influence; Codes and Keys being a far more electronic record. It is this pull between the acoustic and electronic that provides the needed tension Death Cab has always relied on, but it also hurts the record in the long run as, especially toward the end of the album, Gibbard's ideas seem to run out.

The first half of the record is classic Death Cab For Cutie (literate lyrics and memorable melodies) married with a sonic adventurousness. Lots of buried electronic effects and programmed percussion. "Home Is A Fire," almost apes Kid-A era Radiohead.



The title track starts off with barroom piano and drums and takes off with gorgeous strings, erupting into one of the most joyous choruses Gibbard has ever written.



"Doors Unlocked And Open" takes Gibbard's new optimism to another level. Singing lyrics like: "Somewhere down, down/Down in the ocean of sound, sound/We'll live in slow-motion/And be free." The track is one of the few on the album that is almost keyboard free, relying on a driving, metronomic beat, tight bassline, and crystalline guitars.



"You Are A Tourist" uses soaring guitars and washes of atmospheric feedback to compliment the beautiful lyrics:

"When there's a burning in your heart
An endless yearning in your heart
Build it bigger than the sun
Let it grow, let it grow
When there's a burning in your heart
Don't be alarmed"



Which unfolds beautifully into "Unobstructed Views," a haunting ode to love and atheism.



After all these highs, it is incredibly disappointing that the album loses its focus and meanders almost all the way to the end. Retreating from the subtle experimentation at the beginning of the album, the remaining songs get lost in uninspired backings. "Monday Morning" plods along on a turgid beat and forgettable melody. "Portable Television" vamps to another barroom piano roll, but doesn't add much to the track. "Underneath The Sycamore Tree" recycles ideas from other tracks to lesser effect. "St. Peter's Cathedral" breaks the pattern thankfully, and puts the experimentation back to good use; taking ambient washes of keyboards and building them up with spiralling string synths and guitars.



"Stay Young, Go Dancing," however, is slight ballad that ends the album on an underwhelming note.



Codes and Keys is not the brilliant masterpiece that Death Cab For Cutie has lurking within them somewhere. I suppose we will have to continue waiting for them to take their sound up a couple of notches. But there are plenty of charms on the record to make it recommendable.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.