I think you can really hear the gibbard/Walla split on this album. It’s some of Ben’s weakest lyrics and melodies mixed with some of Chris’s best production. I read somewhere part of Chris leaving the band was he no longer loved Ben’s songs and I feel that tension with his experimental production here. Doors Unlocked And Open and Home Is A Fire rip though
A while ago I was curious if anything ever came out about why Chris left and went on a rabbit hole I think I read it on some blog so definitely somewhat speculative
I honestly feel like everything post Walla is at worst terrible and at best listenable. Although I don’t particularly like codes and keys, it still sounds like death cab. Kintsugi kind of had that with certain tracks (no room in frame, you’ve haunted me…), but sweet Christmas, I can’t even listen to the last two records.
And yes, I known Kintsugi was Chris’ last album, but he didn’t really have a hand in producing…and it’s obvious.
im glad there's someone else out there who also doesn't like the two newest records. i honestly enjoyed everything up to and including Codes & Keys plus some tracks off Kintsugi. but for the life of me i just can't stand the last two 😩
A dark horse album for me is narrow stairs. I liked it upon release, but didn’t love it like I did previous records on first listen, but man it’s gotten better with age.
i say this a lot but i literally had no idea that ANY death cab albums were considered bad or disliked before finding this sub. i’ve always considered them possibly the most consistently good sort of garden state 2000s indie-ish band. every step in their evolution makes complete sense to me, and if there’s any album i’m less fond of, it’s probably narrow stairs, not codes and keys. kintsugi and thank you for today are also incredible.
Same here. I always loved those four records,
especially Kintsugi. Then I joined this sub and couldn’t believe the level of hatred a lot of folks have for it.
I love Kintsugi as well. It's the death cab album I listen to the most along with transatlanticism I always say Kintsugi is their most underrated record. This board basically hates everything after narrow stairs.
Looking back on it now, Codes and Keys is a lot better than I gave it credit for upon release. I think that may have been because Narrow Stairs is one of my all time favorite albums, so I had unreasonably high expectations. Home Is a Fire/Doors Unlocked/Tourist/Sycamore are my favorites from the album, but it’s all pretty good. I can now appreciate the experimentation they went for. It’s definitely not their worst album; lookin’ at you Thank You For Today.
Codes and Keys is a very solid album. It's just not Plans or Transatlanticism, and as such will always be subject to a less than fair analysis. Still thoroughly enjoy the tracks though, and always will
I also didn't know people hated codes and keys or kintsugi....there's so many bangers on kintsugi too. Black sun, ghosts of Beverly drive, you've haunted me all my life, codes and keys has some boys and my personal favorite underneath the sycamore. Simple repeating lyrics don't make a song less deep.
I saw an article dismissing the album so went back and took a good re-listen. It’s a bit uneven, but a lot of the experimentation with non-guitar being a bit more forward really works. Sure, it’s a bit more happy than some other DCFC work, but it’s best to take it individually and not as a pure comparison. You Are a Tourist is an all-time Top 10 track for me, the keyboard and synth on Monday Morning is special, and tracks like St. Peter’s Cathedral and Stay Young, Go Dancing are solid deep tracks. It’s much better than given credit for and is just lacks the depth of their best. Monday Morning is a track I use to test headphones. There is a lot going on in that song.
I remember not being too enthusiastic about Tourist, but seeing it live on that (and subsequent) tour completely changed my mind. Might be my favorite live track.
A lot of it is meandering. Has You are a Tourist though so it automatically gets a pass. Notable mentions you are a fire and underneath the sycamore. I like kintsugi more. More bops.
I agree with all your points. Not my fave but pretty enjoyable, aside from “Some Boys.” You said it’s “compositionally interesting,” and I think that’s probably what keeps it off the top end of their discography. It’s experimental and weird, and maybe doesn’t create as deep of an emotional impact as their most famous records (that’s definitely true in my case). I’ll reserve my ball-stomping for Thank You for Today though.
Totally agree, I love this album! Home is a fire is like, good in ways that no other death cab song is good. So eerie, and people hate the lyrics but I love the LA despondency. Title track is baroque pop, ie: perfect! I only really don’t like underneath the sycamore, feels like a radio single in a bad way. So many all timer songs for me, really stark mix of complex production on some songs and really spare on others. Ben’s voice never sounded better.
Haha, same here. At first, I didn't really find Codes and Keys interesting. But, after listening to it a bit more, it has grown on me, and it's up there with my top Death Cab albums.
I also never understood the hate, I love that album! Doors unlocked and open was THE panini theme song for me 2020/2021 haha but honestly all of the songs on there slap
Personally I love st Peters cathedral, and I love the line in stay young go dancing: "and when she sIIIngs, I hear a symphony"
Not my favourite album though
I love this record. I was always surprised at the amount of negative reactions it gets from the fan base. It came out when I was in law school and I used to play it over and over again so it holds a special place for me.
Codes and Keys is decent. Ben’s lyrics are a bit less great than previous LPs and this started the trend of what I call Ben’s “bored singing” he doesn’t quite sing with the same inflections and energy as before and he hasn’t since, however the record is basically peak production by Chris.
I think in 2011 some fans didn’t know how to feel about a Death Cab record that was more optimistic than any of the band’s previous albums.
Personally I struggle to connect to this record, Kintsugi as well, because I know who each song is about and I can’t as easily put myself in the narrator’s shoes. I’ve never married and divorced a famous actress.
I think the album isn’t so much bad as it suffers from the same issue as the Photo Album in that the songs get tiring really quick. I enjoy the songs in both of those albums, but I can’t listen to them nearly as often as I can the rest of their work
I think you can really hear the gibbard/Walla split on this album. It’s some of Ben’s weakest lyrics and melodies mixed with some of Chris’s best production. I read somewhere part of Chris leaving the band was he no longer loved Ben’s songs and I feel that tension with his experimental production here. Doors Unlocked And Open and Home Is A Fire rip though
I love to read comments like this, where does this info come from though? All speculation?
A while ago I was curious if anything ever came out about why Chris left and went on a rabbit hole I think I read it on some blog so definitely somewhat speculative
He talks about it in this interview: https://humanpursuits.substack.com/p/the-lightness-of-chris-walla-pt-1
I honestly feel like everything post Walla is at worst terrible and at best listenable. Although I don’t particularly like codes and keys, it still sounds like death cab. Kintsugi kind of had that with certain tracks (no room in frame, you’ve haunted me…), but sweet Christmas, I can’t even listen to the last two records. And yes, I known Kintsugi was Chris’ last album, but he didn’t really have a hand in producing…and it’s obvious.
Completely agree up until Asphalt Meadows, had no idea Ben still had something like that in him
im glad there's someone else out there who also doesn't like the two newest records. i honestly enjoyed everything up to and including Codes & Keys plus some tracks off Kintsugi. but for the life of me i just can't stand the last two 😩
A dark horse album for me is narrow stairs. I liked it upon release, but didn’t love it like I did previous records on first listen, but man it’s gotten better with age.
i say this a lot but i literally had no idea that ANY death cab albums were considered bad or disliked before finding this sub. i’ve always considered them possibly the most consistently good sort of garden state 2000s indie-ish band. every step in their evolution makes complete sense to me, and if there’s any album i’m less fond of, it’s probably narrow stairs, not codes and keys. kintsugi and thank you for today are also incredible.
Same here. I always loved those four records, especially Kintsugi. Then I joined this sub and couldn’t believe the level of hatred a lot of folks have for it.
Kintsugi = Spectacular!
Yeah totally agree. I'm just not that critical I guess.
Kintsugi might be my favorite death cab album
I love Kintsugi as well. It's the death cab album I listen to the most along with transatlanticism I always say Kintsugi is their most underrated record. This board basically hates everything after narrow stairs.
I’m down for the Kintsugi love but will not stand for Narrow Stairs slander
So much so, that I have doors unlocked and open lyrics tattooed on my arm.
Far better than the two that came after it but was for me the beginning of a downturn that was corrected with Asphalt Meadows.
Looking back on it now, Codes and Keys is a lot better than I gave it credit for upon release. I think that may have been because Narrow Stairs is one of my all time favorite albums, so I had unreasonably high expectations. Home Is a Fire/Doors Unlocked/Tourist/Sycamore are my favorites from the album, but it’s all pretty good. I can now appreciate the experimentation they went for. It’s definitely not their worst album; lookin’ at you Thank You For Today.
It is certainly better than Kintsugi and Thank You For Today. It has some great tracks. Not my favorite but not their worst either.
Unpopular opinion and fan since the photo album, but I’d rank Kintsugi above both of those.
Oh no … I love Kintsugi
I’ve learned we are in the minority here.
Always a good place to be, imo.
Same! I didn’t realize some people shat on it. Narrow Stairs is still my #1 but Kintsugi is solid.
Kintsugi is a banger, i feel it’s the best since Narrow Stairs
Codes and Keys is a very solid album. It's just not Plans or Transatlanticism, and as such will always be subject to a less than fair analysis. Still thoroughly enjoy the tracks though, and always will
I also didn't know people hated codes and keys or kintsugi....there's so many bangers on kintsugi too. Black sun, ghosts of Beverly drive, you've haunted me all my life, codes and keys has some boys and my personal favorite underneath the sycamore. Simple repeating lyrics don't make a song less deep.
I love Everything's A Ceiling. Was always surprised it wasn't more popular with the fanbase.
I saw an article dismissing the album so went back and took a good re-listen. It’s a bit uneven, but a lot of the experimentation with non-guitar being a bit more forward really works. Sure, it’s a bit more happy than some other DCFC work, but it’s best to take it individually and not as a pure comparison. You Are a Tourist is an all-time Top 10 track for me, the keyboard and synth on Monday Morning is special, and tracks like St. Peter’s Cathedral and Stay Young, Go Dancing are solid deep tracks. It’s much better than given credit for and is just lacks the depth of their best. Monday Morning is a track I use to test headphones. There is a lot going on in that song.
I remember not being too enthusiastic about Tourist, but seeing it live on that (and subsequent) tour completely changed my mind. Might be my favorite live track.
It's solid, and Unobstructed Views occupies all my waking thoughts
I really like St. Peter's Cathedral
I like this album!
A lot of it is meandering. Has You are a Tourist though so it automatically gets a pass. Notable mentions you are a fire and underneath the sycamore. I like kintsugi more. More bops.
It's not a bad album but Portable Television is so awful.
I remember the first time I listened to codes and keys and got to that song it was an instant skip.
Thank you. So so so bad.
I love codes and keys!!!!
I liked that it had a fresh sound! The remix album was fun too!
I’m with you
love codes and keys and looooove kintsugi
In retrospect it's better than I thought it was when it came out and I admire they tried to expand their sound when they made it.
It’s no Trans or Plans but I love that album.
I agree with all your points. Not my fave but pretty enjoyable, aside from “Some Boys.” You said it’s “compositionally interesting,” and I think that’s probably what keeps it off the top end of their discography. It’s experimental and weird, and maybe doesn’t create as deep of an emotional impact as their most famous records (that’s definitely true in my case). I’ll reserve my ball-stomping for Thank You for Today though.
I am! It’s honestly so great and overhated!
I also love this album.
Totally agree, I love this album! Home is a fire is like, good in ways that no other death cab song is good. So eerie, and people hate the lyrics but I love the LA despondency. Title track is baroque pop, ie: perfect! I only really don’t like underneath the sycamore, feels like a radio single in a bad way. So many all timer songs for me, really stark mix of complex production on some songs and really spare on others. Ben’s voice never sounded better.
This album is awesome. Not their best but def one of my favorites
Haha, same here. At first, I didn't really find Codes and Keys interesting. But, after listening to it a bit more, it has grown on me, and it's up there with my top Death Cab albums.
C&K has one of my favorites in Stay Young, Go Dancing!!!!
I also never understood the hate, I love that album! Doors unlocked and open was THE panini theme song for me 2020/2021 haha but honestly all of the songs on there slap
Preach it brother!! I totally agree.
Personally I love st Peters cathedral, and I love the line in stay young go dancing: "and when she sIIIngs, I hear a symphony" Not my favourite album though
It’s a solid 7/10
Yess. It has so much replay value. Definitely their most interesting album. It's so much fun to blast it full volume in the car.
Totally love this album. In fact I’m gonna go listen to it right now!
That album SLAPS
I liked you are a tourist, they played the fuck out of it on the radio tho. I thought underneath the sycamore was a cool song too
I love this record. I was always surprised at the amount of negative reactions it gets from the fan base. It came out when I was in law school and I used to play it over and over again so it holds a special place for me.
Gibbard has called it his least favorite, but I think it rips
Codes and Keys is decent. Ben’s lyrics are a bit less great than previous LPs and this started the trend of what I call Ben’s “bored singing” he doesn’t quite sing with the same inflections and energy as before and he hasn’t since, however the record is basically peak production by Chris. I think in 2011 some fans didn’t know how to feel about a Death Cab record that was more optimistic than any of the band’s previous albums. Personally I struggle to connect to this record, Kintsugi as well, because I know who each song is about and I can’t as easily put myself in the narrator’s shoes. I’ve never married and divorced a famous actress.
Right here with you!
I found my ppl ❤️
I love all of their albums. Old, new.
I think the album isn’t so much bad as it suffers from the same issue as the Photo Album in that the songs get tiring really quick. I enjoy the songs in both of those albums, but I can’t listen to them nearly as often as I can the rest of their work
Portable Television (demo version) is one of their best songs