Death Cab For Cutie: Codes And Keys

Death Cab For Cutie
Codes And Keys
Atlantic Records [2011]









Fire Note Says: Codes And Keys has its moments and still should entertain the Death Cab For Cutie faithful.

Album Review:
It is actually hard for me to believe that Death Cab For Cutie have been around the indie scene now for 13 years and Codes And Keys marks the band's seventh long player. They are a group, that still today, I expect more out of and raise the standards whenever they release new material. Fair or not, most of this comes from the talented and likable voice of lead singer Ben Gibbard, as his style has always been completely smooth and he has delivered some great tunes in the past. Death Cab's albums on the other hand have had several road bumps living up to high expectations and with each new release it seems the Pacific Northwest men always come close but seem to miss the mark on creating their pinnacle record. Codes And Keys feels and sounds great but once again leaves the listener wanting more. The good news is that married life serves Gibbard well, as Codes And Keys is one of the most high spirited and positive records in the Death Cab catalog. The band also explores the space within its music here and really let each song build and develop without any rushing. To do this they embrace the studio and let all the tricks fly here. This helps some tracks really pop, like the catchy "Doors Unlocked And Open" but leaves others more lifeless, such as closing track "Stay Young, Go Dancing". This hot and cold vibe runs throughout Codes And Keys, which makes the album good but not life changing as some longtime fans would have hoped. At this point in their career, I think Codes And Keys probably is a good representation of Death Cab's maturity but also their complacency. The album as a whole still has enough solid moments to leave the thought in the back of your head that a second great record is still in them and that you should still care enough to keep following along!

Key Tracks: "You Are A Tourist", "Home Is A Fire", "Doors Unlocked And Open"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Two Door Cinema Club
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Red House Painters

Death Cab For Cutie: The Open Door EP [Fire Note Review 4/9/09]
Death Cab For Cutie: Something About Airplanes [Deluxe Edition] [Fire Note Review 12/5/08]
Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs [Fire Note Review 5/16/08]

Death Cab For Cutie Website
Death Cab For Cutie MySpace
Death Cab For Cutie Facebook
Atlantic Records

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony