Source Tags & Codes

1	It Was There That I Saw You 4:02
2	Another Morning Stoner 4:33
3	Baudelaire 4:16
4	Homage 3:29
5	How Near How Far 4:00
6	Heart in the Hand of the Matter 4:48
7	Monsoon 5:53
8	Days of Being Wild 3:27
9	Relative Ways 4:03
10	After the Laughter 1:15
11	Source Tags and Codes 6:08

Barnes & Noble

This Austin-bred band built their reputation on live shows that saw musical instruments used as weapons of destruction -- and eventually as kindling. But on their major label debut, And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead prove they can be just as effective using said implements in a more traditional manner, namely, pounding out angst-ridden, metal-flaked rawk that brings to mind both Nirvana and King Crimson. Sometimes that head-on collision can occur in the space of a single song, as in the grooves of the creeping "It Was There That I Saw You" or the jittery "Another Morning Stoner," which adds a little R.E.M. amble to the mix. Other tracks are more clear-cut in their allegiance, like the angular riff-fest "Baudelaire" or the chaotically writhing "Homage." Sometimes captivating, sometimes confusing, this is the kind of music that endures, and leaves quite a bit of destruction in its wake. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Intricate and reflective as well as gripping and raw, Source Codes & Tags marks And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's leap from the venerable indie imprint Merge to Interscope's major-label territory. It's a seamless transition, mixing the sweeping, fearlessly anthemic qualities of their previous work with a newfound sheen that actually makes the music's earnest roughness stand out more. Sculpted, gorgeous-yet-gritty melodies drive quintessentially AYWKUBTTOD epics like "Another Morning Stoner," "How Near, How Far," "Relative Ways," and the title track. But Source Codes & Tags isn't so much a more accessible version of the band's sound as it is a more streamlined one; the surging guitars on songs like "It Was There That I Saw You" are even more powerful for their economy. Yet the album's more refined sound doesn't prevent the group from expanding and experimenting -- driven by a stomping rhythm and a raunchy riff, the dangerously sexy "Baudelaire" is the most straightforwardly "rawk" thing And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead has done to date, while "Days of Being Wild" and "Homage" mix old-school hardcore with sullen, dreamlike passages. The band hasn't forsaken its artiness, either, linking nearly every song with interludes of found sounds and adding strings, accordions, and other unique flourishes to the arrangements. A driving, incredibly solid album, Source Tags & Codes proves just how much more the members of AYWKUBTTOD have to say -- they're just as combustible as they were on their debut, but now express themselves with a clarity that makes their intensity all the more breathtaking. Heather Phares