Codes and Keys

VINYL FORMAT. Codes and Keys, Death Cab for Cutie's seventh album, "wrestles with the idea of belonging. "We're struggling with the idea of home," guitarist Chris Walla says, adding that the new tracks are more hopeful than the tunes on 2008's Narrow Stairs. Recorded in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, Codes highlights another big change: Death Cab ditched their trademark folk-rock strums for analog synths and a string section. The band also snagged producer Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, Smashing Pumpkins) to mix the album. The resulting tunes are big on rippling, kinetic riffs ("Home Is A Fire"), spare drums ("Doors Unlocked and Open") and even falsetto "ooh-oohs" ("Some Boys")." – Rolling Stone