The Postal Service - Give Up

2x 150-gram LPs
Gatefold package
2nd LP is a bonus disc, containing non-album b-sides, remixes, and covers
Includes lyric booklet and fold-out artwork insert
NO digital copy included


Audio Quality: 4/5
Song Quality: 4.5/5
Packaging: 4.5/5


Some of my more avid readers (raise your web hand, lurkers) may remember the mild lashing I gave Death Cab For Cutie a few reviews ago for being generic, boring, bland, disingenuous, terrible, etc. Naturally, I stand by all of that, because I only said it a few days ago. It'd be weird of me not to. However, this record is a wonderfully frustrating anomaly. I am truly at a loss as to how a record this innovative and wholly enjoyable came from the same guy who has written some of my least favorite modern indie music. If anything, it makes my gripes with DCFC all the more frustrating, because I KNOW that Ben Gibbard is capable of writing great songs. He's got a unique voice and is clearly a talented lyricist, not to mention the fact that he can make "bop bada ba" choruses distinctively catchy a thousand times over. So I cannot understand why he settles for the bland music produced by Death Cab when I've heard him do so much better. It's definitely the safe route, so I suppose that could explain it. Whatever. Call me when he makes another one of these Postal Service records. Or maybe when he marries Zooey Deschanel, cause that's a damn cute couple.

As I said before, the songs on this record are all pretty solid. At this point I suppose the most notable is the single "Such Great Heights," which can now be heard in a variety of advertisements and movie trailers. There's a (terrible) cover of the song by Iron & Wine that is almost equally ubiquitous at this point. The hubub here is relatively warranted, as the song is pretty much a perfect pop experience from start to finish. If you don't know the hook to this song by now, I question your connection to the world, but you're definitely in for a treat. The highlight of the album for me is still track 1, "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight," featuring absolutely wonderful production, great vocals from Ben and guest Jenny Lewis, and the most unforgettable chorus on the album. As you listen through this 10-track debut, you find these memorable hooks and perfectly unique production aesthetics in endless supply, and I think it's worth giving tremendous credit to this album's producer, Jimmy Tamborello, aka the 2nd half of The Postal Service. Mr. Tamborello would create these gorgeous instrumental arrangements and send them via USPS to Mr. Gibbard, who would then add vocals and whatever other instrumenst he deemed necessary. In this process the name Postal Service was born, in honor of the government-subsizided organization that helped make the project possible. Anyway, it's hard to imagine these melodies existing without the inspiration that came from the incredible music underneath, from the synth-heavy "Nothing Better" and "Brand New Colony" to the unique drum-and-bass structure within "Sleeping In" all the way to the grandiose sonic sculptures of "Clark Gable" and "Recycled Air." Not to take any credit away from Ben Gibbard's great hooks (in someone else's hands, this album may have never wound up being such a perfect pop gem), but the true greatness of this record is undeniably rooted in the experimental electro-pop instrumentals crafted by Jimmy Tamborello. Kudos to him... this album is really an exceptional showcase of his talent.


The sound on this record is very nice. I think the low-end might be lacking a bit at times in terms of warmth and intensity, but in the highs and mids, there are all sorts of synth and drum articulations that leap off the wax much more vibrantly than they do digitally. It's a nice record to sit in front of J-NEX style, listening to all the carefully panned beeps and clicks that make up so much of this record's soundscape. I've heard some mixed reviews of the sound of this LP from friends who also own it, but I'm a fan of the vinyl sound, and it's actually one of the records I drop the needle on the most frequently. I'd say that at worst, it's just as good if not slightly better than the CD. For a record that retails for about $16 and includes a full LP of bonus tracks, that means that if you're a fan with a turntable, this is a no-brainer. It's worth noting that on the bonus LP (discussed more below), some of those songs don't sound quite as great, especially the Iron & Wine cover of "Such Great Heights," which sounds like complete shit. I get that it's supposed to be a bit lo-fi, but it's just really bad and distorted, and frankly I think it's a terrible cover too, so I just go ahead and flip the record when that track starts. Problem solved.

The packaging is really damn nice. It's an attractive gatefold set, and the LPs are contained in those generic white paper sleeves you've seen so many times before. You get a large booklet that contains all the lyrics, as well as a bunch of extra artwork. Also included is a nice fold-out poster that includes the artwork for the band's two EPs previously released, the songs of which are represented on the bonus LP. As I said earlier, though the sound is questionable at times, it was a very cool and unique gesture for the band to offer the second LP containing these additional songs. This alone should be more than enough motivation for some fans to go out and grab this package. My only gripe is the classic "no digital copy" issue, but I'll try to get over it. Oh, and though it says this is a 180-gram set most everywhere I look, it feels way flimsy for 180-gram. I'm marking it as 150... someone let me know if they can prove me wrong.



Ben Gibbard recently said he's not sure that the world will ever see a sophomore release from The Postal Service, as he and Jimmy are busy with their other projects and don't currently have the time to commit to it. With intense sincerity, I hope these two gentlemen clear some time in their schedule to make this album happen. The chemistry these two had in creating this record is so palpable, and it would be a tragic waste if it was never put to use again. Ben... give the Death Cab records a rest for a bit and go make another great piece of art. Please. It's time.

Buy the LP from ElusiveDisc.com
Buy the LP from InSound.com

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