[photogallerylink id=2364 align=left]Death Cab For Cutie have been working on the follow up to 2008′s Narrow Stairs since the beginning of the year.  In January, they made the announcement that their upcoming seventh studio album would be the project of the year and their top priority.  In October they were still working on the project, but now, just in the nick of time, the album is finished, so much so that they have given it a title!

Bassist Nick Harmer spoke with Sterogum to give a progress report on Codes and Keys, their upcoming album.

Harmer says, “There are definitely guitars on this record, there are just less of them than before and we’re using them in different ways this time. Ben was really inspired by writing on acoustic guitar and on a piano, so often those parts become voices or keyboard lines, rather than guitar parts. We really experimented with piecing the songs together in different ways and using the studio differently, so this a much less guitar-centric album than we’ve ever made before.”

The album will also sound different in that it’s being mixed by superproducer Alan Moulder, who has previously worked with everyone from Erasure and the Jesus and Mary Chain to Nine Inch Nails and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. “It’s the first time we’ve ever handed over an entire album to a ‘big name’ engineer for mixing, but obviously we’re very excited,” Harmer said. “Alan is responsible for helping create some of my favourite albums of all-time, so it’s very cool.”

There is no release date as of yet, but we’re guessing early 2011.

Free MP3 Download: Death Cab For Cutie, “Title and Registration”

Video: Ben Gibbard Performs New Death Cab For Cutie Song, Talks About Upcoming Album

Thanks to Cherise at Radio 92.3