Key (Son, Ambulance album)

Key is the second full-length release from Omaha, NE's Son, Ambulance, released on October 26, 2004, by Saddle Creek Records.

Key
Studio album by Son, Ambulance
Released	October 26, 2004
Genre	Indie folk indie pop indie rock
Length	54:38
Label	Saddle Creek
Producer	Son, Ambulance
Son, Ambulance chronology
Euphemystic (2001) Key (2004) Someone Else's Deja Vu (2008)

It is the 71st release from Saddle Creek Records.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	60/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Pitchfork	7.5/10[3]
PopMatters	(mixed)[4]
Punknews.org (2004)	[5]
Punknews.org (2005)	[6]

Key was met with mixed reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received a weighted average score of 60, based on nine reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[1]

Upon release, critics were divided on its songwriting and overall impact. Positive reviews highlighted the album's detailed production and emotional depth, with Splendid and Paste both awarding it four stars and praising its musicianship and headphone-friendly intricacy. Pitchfork gave it a 7.5 out of 10, noting a shift toward more expansive pop arrangements compared to the band's earlier work. However, other critics were less enthusiastic. The A.V. Club and PopMatters offered more tempered assessments, citing issues with pacing and a lack of originality. Meanwhile, Under the Radar, Alternative Press, Blender, and Junkmedia delivered harsh criticisms, pointing to unremarkable songwriting and a lack of distinctiveness, with scores ranging from 2.5 stars to as low as one star.

Track listing

Key track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Entropy"	0:40
2.	"Paper Snowflakes"	4:15
3.	"Billy Budd"	3:49
4.	"Chlorophyll"	4:54
5.	"Sex in C Minor"	7:02
6.	"C Minor Interlude"	1:27
7.	"House Guest"	4:34
8.	"Taxi-Cab Driver"	3:16
9.	"Case of You/Wrinkle, Wrinkle"	8:48
10.	"Glitter Angel"	4:33
11.	"If I Should Fall Asleep"	5:39
12.	"Pleasure, Now"	5:19
13.	"[untitled track]"	0:22
Total length:		54:38

Personnel

Musicians

• Corey Broman – drums
• Daniel Knapp – piano, keyboards
• Joe Knapp – vocals, guitar
• Erica Peterson – bass, vocals
• Dylan Strimple – lead guitar
• Becky Allen – vocals
• Austin Britton – saxophone
• Carrie Butler – violin
• Kate Falkowski – monologue
• Landon Hedges – guitar
• Tim Kasher – accordion
• Neal Knapp – phone message
• Jenna Morrison – lyrics and vocals
• Conor Oberst – lyrics
• Heather Schulte – vocals

Production

• AJ Mogis – recording, mixing, engineering
• Mike Mogis – preliminary tracking
• Doug Van Sloun – mastering
• Son, Ambulance – production

Artwork

• Jenna Morrison
• Daniel Knapp
• Matt Koster
• Jeff Koster
• Casey Scott
• Jadon Ulrich