You can spend all the time and money in the world trying to craft the perfect pop-music scenario, but sometimes the stars have to align all by themselves. Even though early on the members of The Postal Service jokingly referred to Such Great Heights as the hit on their debut album, Give Up, theres no way anyone could have predicted the eventual impact made by a mail-order album designed in a pair of West Coast bedrooms.
Its been 10 years since the little project that could from Seattelite Ben Gibbard (aka Death Cab For Cuties frontman) and Angeleno Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel,
Figurine) emerged from seemingly nowhere and began to burrow into the ears of anyone who came into contact with the bands infectious electro-pop. To celebrate, Sub Pop is reissuing The Postal Services sole album, and including in the multidisc set 15 bonus tracks, including two brand new songs, A Tattered Line of String and Turn Around. On top of that, the band is back together: The Postal Service will hit the road for a long-overdue victory lap, giving most fans their first (and lastseriously, dont ask) chance to see the group in person.
Of course, the bands music was more than just electro-pop, and the force with which Jimmy and Ben captured the indie-rock zeitgeist of the early aughts made them more of a phenomenon than just a regular old band. That such artists as Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer, Streetlight Manifesto, and Confide have covered Such Great Heights is a testament to both the songs magical spark and its melodic inclusivity. The bands sound is such a touchstone that Postal Service-esque has become a generally accepted musical adjective. And it goes way beyond Owl City.
While it was impossible to anticipate how massive Give Up would become, it was obvious in 2003 that these guys had made something special. Ten years on its amazing to know that so many people have come to agree.
"Ben Gibbard's famously bittersweet vocals and sharp, sensitive lyrics imbue Give Up with more emotional heft than you might expect from a synth pop album... The album exploits the contrast between the cool, clean synths and Gibbard's all-too-human voice to poignant and playful effect..." - Heather Phares, allmusic.com
"It's quaint to think of it now: Electronic musician Jimmy Tamborello and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard named their project Postal Service because they used to send demos back and forth to each other in the good old-fashioned U.S. Mail. In a way, that suits the glitchy, retro computer pop the duo made on Give Up... Songs like 'Such Great Heights' whose inclusion on the soundtrack to Garden State elevated the album's profile and 'Nothing Better' bubbled with sweet little blips and bloops and bright patches of synth-manipulated strings whose crispness balanced Gibbards delicate warble." - Rolling Stone
"At the time, the melding of indie rock and electronic music was a bit of a revolution (alas), plus the duo's recording methodTamborello would press on synths and make beats, Gibbard would write melodies and lyrics atop them, and they would mail versions back and forth, get itmade the band feel modern yet old-fashioned in a pre-smartphone time when people were feeling icky about the disposability of life. A decade later, the electronic elements sound completely contemporary... [Y]ou've got a really great wallowing recordit's called Give Up, you guysthat you can walk to or cry to, depending what you've got going on that day, cathartically screaming 'I am finally seeing why I was the one worth leaving!' while doing the dishes or into the pile of unfolded laundry on your bed." - Tara Thorne, The Coast
Features:
Deluxe 3 LP Edition
Celebrating 10 Year Anniversary
4-Pocket Gatefold M-Pack
Includes Booklet
Limited Time MP3 Coupon
Platinum Album
Sub Pop's Second Best-Selling Album (after Nirvana's Bleach)
Remastered with 15 Additional Bonus Tracks & 2 New Songs including the single "A Tattered Line Of String"
Musicians:
The Postal Service
Jenny Lewis
Jen Wood
The Shins
Iron & Wine
Selections:
LP1 - Side One:
1. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
2. Such Great Heights
3. Sleeping In
4. Nothing Better
5. Recycled Air
LP1 - Side Two:
1. Clark Gable
2. We Will Become Silhouettes
3. This Place Is A Prison
4. Brand New Colony
5. Natural Anthem
LP2 - Side Three:
1. Turn Around
2. A Tattered Line Of String
3. Be Still My Heart
4. Theres Never Enough Time
LP2 - Side Four:
1. Suddenly Everything Has Changed
2. Against All Odds (Take A Look At Me Now)
3. Grow Old With Me
LP3 - Side Five:
1. Such Great Heights (John Tejada Remix)
2. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (DJ Downfall Persistent Beat Mix)
3. Be Still My Heart (Nobody Remix)
LP3 - Side Six:
1. We Will Become Silhouettes (Matthew Dear Remix)
2. Nothing Better (Styrofoam Remix)
3. Recycled Air (Live On KEXP)
4. We Will Become Silhouettes (Performed by The Shins)
5. Such Great Heights (Performed by Iron & Wine)
