by Sam Farrell ‘12

In just about every sense, Death Cab for Cutie has represented the Indie platform and everything it has stood for the past six years. Even before they had their coming-of-age, before radios were blaring “Soul Meets Body” and “Crooked Teeth,” they were honing their indie roots with three gold albums from 1998 to 2001 that many nostalgic fans consider the real gems of the band’s work.

When I first popped their newest installment “Codes and Keys” into my car stereo, I was somewhat apprehensive. Since their 2008 album “Narrow Stairs,” two major events occurred in lead singer Ben Gibbard’s life: he quit alcohol and got hitched to actress Zooey Deschanel. That sounds like a pretty healthy and happy hiatus for the average guy, but for Gibbard it has the potential to drastically ruin his lyrics, guitar riffs, tender wailing and everything else that made him the melancholy front man of Death Cab for the first decade of the band’s existence.

The single released prior to “Codes and  Keys” was a cause of concern for me. “You Are a Tourist” is a brilliantly addictive tune with such a killer guitar riff and a roaring bass line that it definitely is in contention for a top song of the summer. But, this is also from where my skepticism originated. While this tune is excellent, it invokes a sense of happiness and exuberance. Those are not two adjectives I would use to describe this band. I hoped with all my might I was wrong, that they would not release a horrific album that would batter their indie reputation into dust. I’m happy to report I indeed was wrong.

The jazzy swing of “Home is Fire” opens the album, and immediately there is a change in the established Death Cab mood in just the opening seconds. The constant piano mashing and quick snare drum work perfectly together as they lead into the album’s title track “Codes and Keys,” which is an even better example of how Gibbard’s exceptional piano playing, coupled with his unique song writing, really make the band stand out in the music world.

As for the rest of the songs on the album, they more or less follow the same musical theme that was implemented in “You Are a Tourist.” “Under the Sycamore Tree” and “Unobstructed Views” are two tracks I also really liked, because to me they sound like the original Death Cab sound that I want. And while some songs, such as “Portable Televisions,” missed the mark because I thought they were a little bland and too instrumentally mixed, I wasn’t expecting a perfect set-list. But considering all 11 songs as a whole, I really did enjoy this album. While it’s not revolutionary, the experimentation heard on this album could easily be the foundation of another uplifting change that Death Cab has brought time and time again in the past.

So is the new album the harbinger for the future sound of Death Cab? To answer my own question, I personally have deep connections to the old, cynical Death Cab, and I hope on their next record they retrieve that sound. But “Codes and Keys” was a real pleasure ride that fans can appreciate and is one that I, for one, could learn to love.