the district sleeps alone tonight
the first song on the album give up by the postal service, titled the district sleeps alone tonight, is easily the album’s best. driven equally by its simple pop melody delivered via ben gibbard’s emotive voice and jimmy tamborello’s beats, this song is an example of the best sort of result one can hope for out of a “supergroup.” i do now know whether this melody would be stronger if set against conventional instrumentation; certainly, the beats are appropriate, and serve to capture the sense of apology and subsequent catharsis that springs from backdrop of loneliness, but it is also the case that this topic is ben gibbard’s bread and butter in death cab for cutie, where it is handled quite adroitly as well. regardless, this is an excellent song.