Whimsical or whiny is a long-standing question among those exposed to Death Cab for Cutie, wavering precariously between the cutting-edge and dull. Their newest album, “Codes and Keys,” was praised for sounding different from past albums without a complete gravitation to the shudder-worthy mainstream.

The album is innovative, self-alienated even from similar acts like The Shins and The Postal Service, without straying completely from the patented Death Cab for Cutie sound.

On Oct. 2, the quartet, “came home” as lead singer Ben Gibbard said, praising The Pageant as they headlined in St. Louis for the second time this year.

The venue sold out almost immediately, leaving those who opted out of the opening act and arriving in time for the main event, like myself, in the standing room only section.

If you want to know what Death Cab for Cutie sounds like in concert, I would suggest saving your money and buying the album, because differentiating between a live performance and the recorded version would be close to impossible.

Optimism was my guide heading into the concert, hoping for the melodic rhythms and sway-worthy tunes that the band became known for in the days of “Transatlanticism” and “Plans.” In this respect, the band delivered, demonstrating an obvious musical talent that has often been blurred by modern phenomena like the dreaded Auto-Tune.

I respect any and all artists who can create a sound on stage exactly like that which they record, proving a natural inclination toward music, unaltered by computers, the bane of music’s existence.

So what could be the problem with a band talented in theory and talented in person? In this case, they emaciated the feeling and excitement of a concert, alluding to all that a concert should be, but missing the mark in a sea of dullness and tedium.

Perhaps it was the intimate setting of The Pageant that didn’t allow for a typical concert experience.

While being so close to the band had the potential to be near-magical, in this instance, it hampered the performance and squelched the sense of unity that often allows the continual success of live music.

Without a communal excitement rippling through the crowd, the desired energy was nonexistent, detracting considerably from the “concert feel.”

Despite their relative fame, Death Cab for Cutie seemed inexperienced in performing, the lead singer twitchy and incapable of staying close enough to the microphone to enunciate the lyrics, a key component of the band’s bottom line. Gibbard became a distraction instead of a catalyst for the band’s live success, all eyes following his every move instead of hanging on his every word.

To completely discount the performance would be unfair to the enormous talent that is Death Cab for Cutie, though.

The songs alone verge on brilliance, combining unexpected keyboard riffs with Gibbard’s dreamlike voice and aforementioned beautiful lyrics that tap into emotion at an exceptionally deep level.

They have seen success worldwide through a chain of albums, as proven by a multitude of sold-out shows on the American leg of their tour.

To be a real artist, a band must go beyond being talented in the most black-and-white sense of the word.

While kudos must be given to the band for appearing to be grounded in their fame, a realization of their success and adjustment in their performance demeanor to cater to that success is necessary.

I don’t expect a spoiled rock star persona to shine through, but an ounce of something dynamic wouldn’t have hurt.

I have not lost my respect for the band. Songs like “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” and “Someday You Will Be Loved” still reach the top of my Most Played List on a regular basis.

I wanted the euphoric feeling that The Foo Fighters and Coldplay provided post-performance but, instead, could only muster a feeling of flatness, just like Death Cab for Cutie’s admirable, if unexciting, performance.