The Postmarks' Tim Yehezkely has the kind of breathy, sweet vocal style associated with French singers of the '60s or Brazilian bossa nova girls of the same era. She's the focal point of the band's excellent debut record as she drifts like a cotton candy cloud through sophisticated chamber pop backdrops like
Astrud Gilberto's mopey little sister. The 11 songs on display here sound lifted from the
Bacharach songbook, as they're filled with vibraphones, shimmering strings, gently plucked guitars, and meticulously arranged and produced for full emotional impact. The emotion in question is sadness -- sweet, gentle, crushing sadness. An enveloping haze of melancholy hovers over the proceedings, making it perfect for late-night listening parties for one. Every song wraps it tender arms around you in a warm nocturnal embrace; indeed, only "Goodbye," with its parping horns and jaunty beat (which almost camouflage the song's dark heart), and the gently rocking handclapper "Weather the Weather" are fit to listen to in the daylight hours. Listening to a track like the beautifully despairing "You Drift Away" or "Know Which Way the Wind Blows" while the sun is shining would surely send you scurrying inside to draw the blinds and commence weeping. You need records like
The Postmarks in your collection. It's absolutely perfect company for the times when you need to shut yourself away from the world, pull the covers over your head, and try to believe in beauty again. ~ Tim Sendra