#10 – Codes and Keys (2011)

This one is a given. Ask any Death Cab for Cutie fan, and they’ll say that Codes and Keys is their worst album.

Codes and Keys saw the band take a hard left in the direction of their sound compared to their previous album, Narrow Stairs. The iconic guitar tones that had become the symbol of Death Cab were traded for muddled electronic effects and unflattering piano chords that struggle to find a memorable place in the Death Cab discography. The only song from Codes that is remotely notable is “Stay Young, Go Dancing,” a cute love song that features the most guitar on the album. That’s probably why it’s the only notable one.

Codes and Keys was the first album that Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar) wrote after being married to actress Zooey Deschanel. At the time, Gibbard had also recently quit drinking and began marathon running. It’s easy to say that Ben was doing pretty good at the time. Lyrically speaking, the album seems to be pretty reflective of Ben’s state of mind. Besides “Stay Young, Go Dancing,” the album features quite a few love songs (“Unobstructed Views” and “Monday Morning”) that can be enjoyable for certain audiences. Most of the other songs on the album are about hope, happiness, and conquering fear, which are all lyrical themes that had not been explored as deeply in previous albums. 

Codes and Keys was written at a good time in Gibbard’s life. Call it the band’s “happy record.”

Although the album is definitely listenable as a stand-alone, it is by far the weakest Death Cab album compared to their other releases, and the band failed to further develop the Codes and Keys sound in future records. 

It’s a failed experiment, I guess. 

Best Song: Stay Young, Go Dancing

Worst Song: Codes and Keys