Rant-Rave-Revue: The Postmarks, Memoirs at the End of the World (2009)

The Postmarks

Memoirs at the End of the World: Composed and Performed by The Postmarks

Unfiltered Records

Produced by The Postmarks (I’d assume)

Street Date: Out Now

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I was sifting through my stacks this morning and came upon this one—the three members of the band staring back at me off of their press photo. Two everymen in black-and-white suits and a hottie in a black-and-white-striped, skin-tight dress. Hmm, I thought. Interesting. So I cracked the press release and read an interesting story about a trio called The Postmarks: Jonathan Wilkins and Christopher Moll round on the dudes in suits; and Tim Yehezkely (an Israeli-born woman), the hottie in the dress.

Turns out that the band was formed in South Florida, of all places, and that the two guys in the band are both radioheads—DJing, arranging and composing along the way. The chanteuse happened to do an open-mic night at one of the guy’s clubs, and that was apparently that.

Now, the press release is quite interesting, as it is set up like the script of a movie, which of course, is supposed to get the writer (me) thinking “cinematic,” “Broadway,” “Hollywood”—shit like that. Publicists get more and more creative as the economy gets worse and worse. But it had the proper effect; I’m hoping this first listen will provide me with what I need to rock out this first Rant-Rave-Revue in awhile.

I’m on their Web site now and am even more impressed. They’ve gotten some solid press, from both new and traditional media sources. A favorite music blog of mine, Stereogum.com, says, “Bacharach meets Brian Wilson!” Interesting. Noted. American Songwriter, whom I’ve written for numerous times over the years also sings The Postmarks praises. I’m intrigued. Let’s do it.

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First impression(s):

It didn’t occur to me until now, but this is a similar dynamic to Scottish-American band Garbage. Two producer-types and a hottie in the middle with not only immediate sex appeal, but also serious singing chops. I always had a major crush on Shirley Manson of Garbage—and after spending a year in her home country of Scotland had an even bigger crush on her. There’s something about that Scottish accent coming out of a woman. I digress, though.

I’m drawn to the use of reverb on the drums, and yes, the “cinematic” quality of the music. The publicists didn’t need to print the press in script format—but now it seems like a nice little touch. The music reminds me very much of that from a James Bond movie: maybe from the Goldfinger movie era. It feels “old,” like it was made in another era completely. The second track has got this Supremes-thing going on.

All these initial thoughts about the music itself, and I half forgot to mention how much I like Tim Yehezkely’s voice. It’s not forced in any way—it doesn’t sound like she’s trying to do something that she’s not. It’s airy, whispery and golden. It’s cute, it’s attractive, it’s fantastical. She sounds like a better version of Zooey Deschanel; the latter’s voice always sounds a bit forced (though I think it works well, in the end). Think of the takes Deschanel does in the movie Elf. A tad bit forced. But Yehezkely’s, no way. This is great, natural vocal beauty. Look, I realize I’ve totally painted Tim into a box saying she’s a hottie, etc. etc., but I must say, she’s a hottie with chops. Her hotness comes second to her vocal performance.

Getting back to the music, I really dig the use of string arrangements. I grew up listening to various level of stringsmanship—my father and brother both played the violin, I played the cello—and I think it always adds a layer to music that a guitar, drums and bass are just incapable of doing. Not that the guitar isn’t a versatile instrument (I play that, too). Jimmy Page even went as far to bow his Les Paul, but I think that was sort of a cop-out. It doesn’t provide the preferred beauty one gets from bowing a cello or a violin. It adds this “mystique” to the sound of the guitar—almost the same as percussive taps on the body of an acoustic guitar. But The Postmarks use of string arrangement is not done in a gaudy manner; it doesn’t take away from the quality of song performed. It merely adds a nice, buttery layer to what’s already there.

OK, I’m already on the fourth track, which starts out and has a club-type beat to it, but here come some horns. Some motherfucking horns! I am slightly more suspicious of horns, mainly because they were used into the ground during the ’90s ska-band explosion and started to really sound campy and shitty after more than a few songs hit the radio with prominent horn parts. Think the Mighty-Mighty Bosstones or Reel Big Fish. Great bands in their own right, but they really killed horns for me. The Postmarks, however, are using horns here, not only as a “bass” instrument (they are providing an actual backbeat), but also for a main “theme” (think the song “Goldfinger” that Dame Shirley Bassey made famous).

Here slithers in the fifth track, with some off-tune piano (something I really dig), and in rolls Tim like a warm cup of hot chocolate. The song opens up just after the 1:10 mark—with sitar (or something being made to sound like a sitar) following Tim on vocals. Love it. Another great instrument that everyone seemed scared to use in pop songs after the Beatles took it and ran with it. Sure, Guns ‘N Roses used it on the opener of “Pretty Tied Up” (I believe) on Use Your Illusions II, but it was merely used for effect, not as a main instrument in the song. This is true, lead instrument use. You also have the coupling of violins with it—something that George Harrison has in “Within or Without You” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a truly mysterious raga-based song. But The Postmarks are not using a raga-theme here; this is a majestic pop song, through and through. I like the na-na-na fadeout at the end.

“Runaway Love,” the sixth track, is short and sweet. So is my take on it.

The seventh track seems to be using a Harpsichord or something similar in tinkle-tinkle-tinkle-ness as the main theme producer. In runs Tim, and it immediately reminds me of Supergrass, a perennial favorite of mine. In listening to a lot of Kinks, I’ve realized that Supergrass delves deep into the Kinks songbook to pick up riffs and other nuggets, but the Kinks are a band that need to be honored for what they were, and I sort of give them (Supergrass) a free pass when it comes from dipping into the Kinks. Here, The Postmarks are taking this Supergrass-sounding major-to-minor song, and wrapping it in the splendor of multiple orchestrations. Horns, strings, timpani (can’t get enough of that timpani, man). What a lovely effect.

I’m going to listen to the next couple of tracks one after the other and pick up with the review after that. OK?

I’m sorry, I have to throw in how enamored for this music I am—they’re bringing back the song “Thorn in Your Side” for a reprise, and even though there are no words, I’m still intrigued. Great shit.

“Go Jetsetter” has doubling on the vocals, which is a great studio trick, which all the greats have used. Elliott Smith did it so effectively. Tim is doing a damned good job with here. The sounds has a really nice ’60s pop sort of feel to it, but an updated feel, no less. There’s this connection it makes with “now” and “then” that I just don’t here in other’s music these days. The Aislers Set, who hail from Portland, Ore., I believe, have this really great “old sound” thing going on (I heard about them from the leader singer of The Shins, James Mercer, when I interviewed him a few years back), but the Set just sort of meld the old feeling music with that indie-rock sentiment—that sort of cooler-than-cool thing. Whereas The Postmarks seem to not care about their hipster cred. They’re really doing this old sound, because that’s their thing.

Onto the “Theme From ‘Memoirs’”—how funny. So this is really a fucking movie soundtrack, huh? A soundtrack to what? Being young and having fun? Being at the top of your game musically? Not giving a shit what other’s say about your music (including moi)? I just got the image of Johnny Cash about to say “Fuck You!” and sticking up his middle finger—that iconic photo.

The next tune is called “The Girl From Algenib.” Give me a second. I’ll look it up. It’s Arabic for “flank” and is a star in the constellation Pegasus (Gamma Pegasi), i.e. the wing on the flying horse. The song has that lovely ’70s wah-wah effect going on deep under the production—and works as sort of a percussion effect. This sounds like it could’ve been written by The Flaming Lips. It’s got that outerspace campiness to it, as well as this real sound musicianship. It is catchy, too, which doesn’t hurt. Is it possible that Tim writes these lyrics (she’s the lyric writer, by the way) without knowing how the boys are going to take it and run with it? Do they write the music second? Wow, that would be a real revelation. Sort of an intergalactic Elton John-Bernie Taupin thing.

I haven’t noticed a single guy’s voice on this entire album, which is sort of nice. Fuck guys, anyway, right? Bunch of pigs.

Cripes, we’re already on the last song. I was enjoying myself so much. The last tune is called “Gone,” and has this club-y beat—here come the strings. Love ‘em. And this sort of Suzanne Vega vibe going on. I’m now certifiably in love with this music. It’s climaxing on everything I look for in music (Copland, you taught me well).

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Roundup:

I’m not going to have to listen to this album a second time to write about what I think you should do with it. Go out and buy this today. It would make a great under-the-radar Christmas or Hannukah present.