The Postal Service
Album: Give Up (2003)
Track: Such Great Heights
I came across this online the other day since I have been on an electronica binge since the begining of the year. So I was checking out some other forms of electronica apart from the usual dance/trance and breakbeats and came across this band that focused more on the melodic style more commonly heard in the 80′s and figured that they should sound pretty interesting.
Now, the two things that caught my attention on hearing their stuff was firstly the producting/aggrangement. Lots of beeps, pops and clicks that sound like they were taken from some old video game or first generation synthesizers that would sound really cheesy given any normal situation and yet somehow it works. It gives the music some surreal, airy, dreamy feel and is a testament to the skills of the producer in crafting a soundscape out of what seems like noise.
Next was the disembodied vocals, which only serves to add to the surreal feel, with a passive restrained emotion which somehow doesn’t feel too out of place among the synths. Kinda reminds of Depache Mode. A nice touch is the addition of airy, specter-like, female vocals for accompliment in places, of which I’m a sucker for (one of the main reasons why I like Dashboard Confessional’s “A Plain Morning” for example).
All in all, it’s really stuff worth listening to if you like experimenting with something a little different but still hit friendly. Personally, it makes me even more eager to learn more about Computer Music and production.
Score: 8/10
