Review: The Postal Service's "Give Up"
8.7.2003Dan Miller
Dan Miller lives an angst-ridden existence in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C. By day he works as an editorial assistant at a nonprofit downtown. By night he sits in coffeeshops, doing crossword puzzles and unconsciously staring at people. He's thinking about getting another hamster, but doesn't know if he's ready for that kind of commitment.
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The Postal Service is an experiment in pop. Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard lends his voice, lyrics and melodies to Jimmy Tamborello's electronic beats and sounds on the band's debut CD, "Give Up," a romantic, melodic hybrid of rock and technology. Named because the pair mailed each other drafts of the tracks, the album also features vocals by Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis.

The Postal Service's "Give Up" is so good that it could easily induce a nosebleed.

Well, perhaps it won't make noses bleed, but they'll at least twitch a little bit.

It's just such a relief to finally see rock and electronica wed so blissfully. It's a combination that doesn't happen as often as it should, and Gibbard and Tamborello have created a sound that is unpretentious, sweetly melodic and dreamy.

"Give Up" is an even partnership between the two genres. While The Postal Service maintains the structure and pop sensibilities of a solid indie rock album, their guitars definitely take a back seat to their keyboards and beats. Tamborello's electronics beep, swirl, shuffle and chime, but always feel warm and tangible. This is techno that isn't soulless or brain-dead, but full of heart and chock full of emotion - perhaps too much at times.

Take the song "Nothing Better," one of the most syrupy on the record. It adds a straightforward, plodding beat with ringing and echoing electronics to the melancholy vocals of Gibbard and guest vocalist Jenny Lewis. Lewis' presence on the record is sporadic, but her high, sugary voice is a good compliment to Gibbard's.

In their duets, Lewis and Gibbard partake in a broken-hearted dialogue that verges on self-parody. Gibbard sings "Will someone please call a surgeon who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart that you're deserting for better company?" to which Lewis responds "I feel I must interject here, you're getting carried away feeling sorry for yourself with these revisions and gaps in history."

Gibbard's song writing is tender-hearted and sensitive, so it can either be endearing or annoying. His sincerity can be embarassing at times and the wounded inflection of his voice makes him seem like an eternal victim. But, his lack of pretense and inhibition make the genuine nature of his words undeniable.

While songs like "Nothing Better" and the single "Such Great Heights" are ultra-tender, one of the standout tracks on "Give Up" is the dark, brooding "This Place is a Prison." It features the sparsest instrumental work on the album, and its combination of live and mechanical drums creates an amazing synergy.

Other standouts are the Nintendo-meets-rock-band "Brand New Colony" and the up-tempo "Clark Gable." "Natural Anthem," the album's noisiest song, can be a little jarring, especially given the tunefullness of the rest of the album.

Hopefully, The Postal Service will be the start of a trend: smart, electronic rock that's easy on the ears. There's no need to be afraid of technology in music, and Gibbard and Tamborello have proved this gloriously.