CODES are a band who know exactly what they want. Ask their record label, EMI Ireland, who were approached not by a band who had cobbled together a few ramshackle demos for consideration, but one who had a polished collection of songs and a plan for world domination ready to go. It's no surprise that they were snapped up by a major label.
Their forward-thinking attitude is written all over their strangely-titled album. Formed from the ashes of [LOST], the Dublin quartet have - with the help of Manic Street Preachers producer Greg Haver - made a album that's scarily accomplished for a debut. If you're a fan of big-sounding indie songs with more than a touch of the epic about them (think Muse, Coldplay), you'll love what Darragh Anderson and co. have done. Anderson's soft, almost feminine vocals are just about strong enough to spearhead the CODES assault, and even if his lack of variation is slightly grating by the 13th track, his voice is adeptly woven into these tracks and is an integral element of the band's sound.
'Trees Dream in Algebra' is a well-sequenced record, too. From the quasi-apocalyptic, static-filled opener 'Malfunctions' to the tight harmonies that close the album with '4 Winters', it's a record befitting of a film soundtrack. Pristine radio-friendly stories of heartbreak ('This is Goodbye'), theatrical, orchestral tunes ('Our Mysteries') and songs that are crying out for mammoth lighters-aloft crowd singalongs ('Magnetic North' and 'Starry Eyed') all feature at some stage, too.
Yet while there's a lot of big bombast at every corner here, there's also the feeling that an emphasis on understatement would have made for a more 'complete' listening experience - a fact cemented by the classical-style instrumental 'Telos', which gives the listener a break from the onslaught of anthems. Still, as a debut it's an impressive achievement, and surely makes CODES a safe bet for international success.
