Review: The Postal Service’s “Give Up” remains a whole package

 

Before Adam Young sang about seeing 10 million fireflies as Owl City, indietronica’s poster band was The Postal Service, a supergroup consisting of lead singer Ben Gibbard, producer Jimmy Tamborello and backing vocalist Jenny Lewis.

The group was short-lived; they knew to strike while the iron was hot and burn bright before quickly going out on their own terms. Their only studio album to date is “Give Up,” released on Feb. 18, 2003.

Opener “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” starts out with glitchy electronic instrumentation as Gibbard sings about a dying relationship where he is at fault. But as the song progresses, it becomes more rhythmic and upbeat as Gibbard starts to realize that his partner deserves better than him. He resigns himself to being a lonely stranger as the song ends.

“Such Great Heights” contrasts twinkly beats with low bass and sharp percussion, perfectly evoking feelings of falling in love. The lyrics use compelling imagery, like shaped clay and answering machines, to further illustrate that the narrator and his partner seem made for each other. The guitar solo in the bridge is a nice touch, too.

“Sleeping In” primarily uses piano and drum beats, which somehow remind me of an elevator ride when they come together. Gibbard sings about recurring dreams of a utopian world without need for uncertainty, suggesting he wants to stay blissfully ignorant about how complicated the real world is.

The beginning of “Nothing Better” sounds like a cloudy breeze and its end like an arcade game theme. In between, Gibbard and Jen Wood duet as a fracturing couple who want different things; the former is refusing to surrender their relationship, while the latter is eager to leave.

“Recycled Air” sounds almost trance-like, with lyrics that resemble a guided meditation and describe an anxious airplane ride. The narrator acknowledges their fear while midair, but tells themselves to keep calm and focus on their surroundings.

“Clark Gable” is the most retro-leaning track so far and sounds almost like a wedding song. This is appropriate as the lyrics utilize cinematic metaphors to tell the story of a person desperate for a love story like in the movies.

“We Will Become Silhouettes” puts an organ front and center of a song about refusing to put yourself in a potentially harmful situation, even if it eliminates countless positive possibilities. “This Place is a Prison” features beats that sound like crumbling concrete or marching feet, incredibly apt sounds for a song about being confined by your circumstances and being forced to wait for your moment to arrive.

The best track on the album is arguably “Brand New Colony,” which sets emotive lyrics about intense devotion to a partner to instrumentation that combines soft programmed beeps with organic strings. Lastly, there’s “Natural Anthem,” which employs a fluctuating tempo and increasing intensity to complement a metacommentary on songwriting that is drawn from real experiences. 

“Give Up” displays a band with a single clear message they wanted to deliver, and all 10 tracks prove they succeeded. The Postal Service may be out of commission, but their music and influence will never let up.