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It's a little early in the year to say this, I know… But
I think I can honestly say that We Will Become Silhouettes
may be the greatest indie pop record of the year. I feel that
strongly about it. Even though it consists of only four songs,
and one of those a re-working of the lead track, these are indeed
some of the finest keyboard-laced pop tracks of all time. Tripping
me back to the time of the first Looper record, minus the
cool Scottish accent and stories about Columbo, The Postal
Service has put together songs full of sonic depth and immense
character. The guitars are sparse and perfectly offset the lush
keyboard pads that underlie the beautiful melodies of male and
female vocals. There are large amounts of duality in the songs,
from the competing abstract noises to the tempo changes that push
and then alternately pull the music. Each of these songs is artfully
written, recorded and produced. "We Will Become Silhouettes"
is an amazing track, invoking the spirit of Kraftwerk's
Computer World, and really making musical leaps forward
from their 2003 release Give Up, which was itself a fantastic
record. Some of the finest lyrics that I have heard in a long
time come packaged here as well: "I wanted to walk through
the empty streets/ and feel something constant under my feet/
but all the news reports recommended that I stay indoors/ because
the air outside will make/ our cells divide at an alarming rate/
until our shells simply cannot hold our insides in/ and that's
when we'll explode/ and it won't be a pretty sight." Brilliance.
Sonically, this EP is amazing. The keyboards are crisp and perfectly
placed. The drums have a light drum'n'bass feel, seamlessly integrating
breakbeats and high hat washes.
Whether you are looking for airy feel good music that can make
you smile, or clever lyrics built on solid foundations of indie
pop, or just great keyboard parts and dueling vocals, than this
is the record for you. I can only hope that this means a new
full length in the near future. And yes, this album art kicks
serious ass… It makes me think of the animated after-school
specials from when I was growing up.
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. We Will Become Silhouettes
2. Be Still My Heart
3. Nothing Better (styrofoam remix)
4. We Will Become Silhouettes (matthew dear's not scared mix)
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