The Postal Service are a cult band with a dedicated
fan base of Ben Gibbard followers who are adamant that Death Cab For Cutie are
the greatest thing since Hershey's. Give Up is The Postal Service's
debut album, and that was released 10 years ago. Gibbard, Jimmy
Tamborello and Jenny
Lewis often reject the recording of a sophomore album. Fans have been left dry
for 10 years, and although Give Up isn't quite the classic album Sub Pop
says it is, they're re-releasing it for its anniversary. Fair enough,
anniversary re-releases are common, Loveless, Nevermind and Screamadelica
have been successfully re-released, but these are top quality albums. Give
Up has its place in music history, but it's not that great. Who did they
influence other than Owl City?
"A Tattered Line of String" just happens
to sound better than anything on Give Up. That's a pretty bold statement
given the cult and critical status of The Postal Service's debut album.
Information regarding "A
Tattered Line of String" is minimal, so guess work will suffice. All signs
and sounds point towards "A
Tattered Line of String" being an unreleased track from the Give Up
recording sessions. It could very well be one of Tamborello's
beats that has been lost in the post for 10 years, discovered by Gibbard who
adds his melancholy vocal and melody - who knows?
The Postal Service have 'reunited' for several festival appearances. I don't think they will be releasing another album any time soon, and I’m kind of glad because I can't be bthered with putting up with needy fans who are constantly shouting hate at Owl City for 'ripping off' a sound that was already well-established by Britain’s Pet Shop Boys.
~Eddie
