Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Product Description
Review
The rise and rise of Washington State’s Death Cab for Cutie is a phenomenon that has occurred largely without comment. A group that are not particularly photogenic, playing songs that tend to whisper rather than scream, the exquisitely understated quartet have staked their claim on the mainstream without much of the mainstream actually noticing. Transatlanticism, the group’s fourth album and last on an independent label (Barsuk), may have only scraped the US Billboard top 100 in 2003, but just five years later, with Narrow Stairs, the group had itself a number one CD in their home country.
DCFC may not be quite as popular in the UK as in the US but, as with fellow north-westerners The Decemberists, when America hums a tune the rest of the world usually begins singing along. Luckily enough, Codes and Keys, the group’s seventh album and first for three years, is a set busy with fine songs. "Cars on the freeway, tempting a clean break / [but] there’s nowhere left to go," sings mainstay Ben Gibbard on the achingly atmospheric Home is a Fire, as his group’s music shimmers around him. But while the band’s tone here is of a sparse and controlled stripe – Codes & Keys is less driven by guitars than previous albums, allowing space for piano lines and broad washes from violins and cellos – rarely does it come without some kind of edge or sense of heavily clouded atmosphere. This is more Colour of Spring-era Talk Talk than it is Coldplay.
The best alternative bands who make their way to the mainstream do so by making the mainstream take at least a few steps in their direction. Metallica did this, as did Green Day. And while there is no song on Codes and Keys that a parent would threaten to throw a teenager out of the family home for playing, nontheless this is an album that is not quick to give up its rewards. As such it is an understated and subtlety magnificent pleasure.
--Ian Winwood
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
CD Description
Codes And Keys, which was mixed by the brilliant Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nine Inch Nails) will mark the first all-new Death Cab for Cutie release since 2009, which saw the hit single, Meet Me On The Equinox as well as The Open Door EP, which later earned the band their third consecutive Grammy Award nomination for ‘Best Alternative Album’. The EP came hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed 2008 release Narrow Stairs which also gave them two Grammy nods for ‘Best Alternative Album’ and ‘Best Rock Song’ for the single "I Will Possess Your Heart."
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
The band have come a long way since their lo-fi indie roots. Codes & Keys is by far their most diverse release to date; a far more synth driven record which still includes the trademark indie rock sound that made them famous. The album has everything: catchy, radio friendly tracks like You Are a Tourist and Doors Unlocked and Open. As well as deeper more experimental songs like St Peter's Cathedral and Unobstructed Views. Despite this variety the album flows perfectly from start to finish. I've heard a lot of negativity regarding the use of vocal effects, but I feel this brings a eerie uniqueness to the record and takes nothing away from Ben's distinct vocals. I was disappointed with 2008's Narrow Stairs, so I'm overjoyed that the band have redeemed themselves with this wonderful release. More than worthy of 5 stars.
Format:Audio CD
This is definitely not as good as their earlier works in my opinion. Obviously opinion of music is subjective, i prefer their earlier works much better and consider Plans and Narrow stairs to be their best albums. I can't quite put my finger on what i dislike about this album but it feels to me as if the band have lost something vital in this album, which makes their other works the magical and different albums they are. Codes And Keys for me shows Death Cab for Cutie becoming just another band, and not what they were.
But as i said opinions are subjective.
But as i said opinions are subjective.
Format:MP3 Download
Their seventh full length studio album sees Death Cab return with confidence and vigour. Without a doubt, Codes and Keys is one of the band's finest albums (up there with 'We Have the Facts' and 'Transatlanticism') and is certainly an improvement over the decent, but comparatively weak Narrow Stairs.
Prior to buying this, I noted with some interest the many reviews which claimed Codes and Keys to be a particularly experimental, synth-driven affair. However, now that I am pretty familiar with the album, I can only conclude that those making such claims must have been listening to a completely different album. In reality, Codes and Keys is no more or less experimental than anything else the band has ever put out.
However, at times, it is also clear what the band has been listening to during the creation of the album. 'Some Boys' is very reminiscent of Animal Collective and title track 'Codes and Keys' has an almost Arcade Fire vibe to it. That said, as similar as those songs may be to the aforementioned bands, they are delivered with taste and style and sound like homages rather than blatant rip-off since DCFC still sound like themselves.
All in all, Codes and Keys presents a strong suite of songs: 'You Are a Tourist' is an infectiously breezy pop song, 'Monday Morning' the perfect single but the highlight has to be 'St Peter's Cathedral' which also features some of Gibbard's best lyrics. Ultimately though, save the rather dull and drawn on 'Unobstructed Views' there isn't a bad song on the entire album.
So if you're a fan of Death Cab For Cutie, you are doing yourself a major disservice by missing out on this fantastic album. Highly recommended.
Prior to buying this, I noted with some interest the many reviews which claimed Codes and Keys to be a particularly experimental, synth-driven affair. However, now that I am pretty familiar with the album, I can only conclude that those making such claims must have been listening to a completely different album. In reality, Codes and Keys is no more or less experimental than anything else the band has ever put out.
However, at times, it is also clear what the band has been listening to during the creation of the album. 'Some Boys' is very reminiscent of Animal Collective and title track 'Codes and Keys' has an almost Arcade Fire vibe to it. That said, as similar as those songs may be to the aforementioned bands, they are delivered with taste and style and sound like homages rather than blatant rip-off since DCFC still sound like themselves.
All in all, Codes and Keys presents a strong suite of songs: 'You Are a Tourist' is an infectiously breezy pop song, 'Monday Morning' the perfect single but the highlight has to be 'St Peter's Cathedral' which also features some of Gibbard's best lyrics. Ultimately though, save the rather dull and drawn on 'Unobstructed Views' there isn't a bad song on the entire album.
So if you're a fan of Death Cab For Cutie, you are doing yourself a major disservice by missing out on this fantastic album. Highly recommended.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Codes & Keys
The Codes & Keys album by Death Cab for Cutie is stupendous! Driving rhythms and great words. I heard Codes & Keys on holiday and it stuck inside my head, so had to buy it.
Published 8 months ago by P. Cunnington
Disappointing.. and no, it has not grown on me over time.
I have every single, EP and album. The lyrics are clever enough, perhaps not quite as evocative as their best work and the music production is really high but musically (and I... Read more
Published 9 months ago by lemonstar
Sublime
A true gem amongst cubic zircona. Ben Gibbard delivers in style, with lush tunes amongst the promised lack of guitars. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Nick Redfern
My Mind's Unlocked and Open
Hadn't heard of Deathcab until I saw them on the bill supporting Biffy Clyro and Foo Fighters at MK Bowl, so I don't have a back catalogue to compare this against, instead I opted... Read more
Published 9 months ago by David Leigh
Consistently better sounding songs
I've liked every DCFC album, thats not to say I've liked every song. I think that is reflective for all music fans out there with bands they like. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Jay M
They all let you down in the end
Having been almost a decade long DCFC fan (since The Photo Album) and a lover of most of Ben Gibbard's side-projects (The Postal Service, One Fast Move or I'm Gone, All Time... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Eyeballboy
grower
Am a confirmed fan of Death Cab for Cutie, own all their work and have seen them live.
This album like much of their best work doesn't hit you between the eyes on first... Read more
This album like much of their best work doesn't hit you between the eyes on first... Read more
Published 10 months ago by s1fnl
Taxi for Death Cab...? Not yet!
The vocals on this are as expected excellent. The music is also brilliant. What lets this down is the song writing. Read more
Published 10 months ago by morph
Different sound, but same great band
I didn't know what to expect from this album since I was reading loads of reviews about the "different sound. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Sarah-Jane R
Album of the year (so far)
After being left slightly cold by 'Narrow Stairs', a tiny part of me thought that maybe Ben and co. had 'lost it'... boy was I wrong. Read more
Published 11 months ago by dogbert
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
