What can you say about this release, other than espouse and praise the songwriting gifts of Death Cab for Cutie's frontman and singer, Ben Gibbard. A seeming departure from the aytpical indie rock stylings of his more recognized band, The Postal Service isnt that much of a musical leap and seems like a natural progession for Ben, whose experimentation with lo-fi and synths can be seen in many All-Time Quaterback and early DCFC songs. With the help of Jimmy Tamborello of Figurine, The Postal Service create songs reminiscent of early 80's heros New Order, and the Human League, except of course, argueably better. Highlights of this Cd Single are the reworkings by fellow seattle scensters The Shins and the heartwrenchingly tender remake by iron and wine, stripped bare and acoustic Ben's words take on a whole new meaning in the voice of Sam Beam, the force behind the one man, Iron and Wine. This, and the full length release is a must have for any fan of either group, and will surely make many best of lists for '03

The Shins and Iron and Wine are two bands that are blowing up right now because of the Garden State Soundtrack and for good reason. The Shins produce very catchy, up-tempo, happy songs while Iron and Wine sing a lot of soft ballads and love songs. It's very interesting to hear their renditions of Postal Service songs which are great in their own right. Ben Gibbard is one of the best song writers of his time and it shows in the lyrics of both of these songs.

The Postal Service is one very unique band, and now, you can hear them from a different perspective. 2 originals and 2 more originals covered by Iron and Wine and the Shins. These songs are great, very exceptional.

Such Great Heights was a very poppy upbeat from their album "Give Up", and it's a great song. The drums are active, there is a lot of panning-involved riffs, and some good vocals.

There's Never Enough Time is a simple Electronica song. The simplicity is actually great in this song. Everything is real clear, and the "tss tss tah tss" drums sound awesome. I love the arrangement of this song, and the keyboard riff is soo good.

We Will Become Silhouettes by the Shins is a very nice song. Instead of busy keyboard riffs with saws and snare drums, there's a lot of realism acoustic guitars. They didn't make an exact replica measure for measure and they change some of the melodies (but keep the mood the same). Both the Postal Service's version and the Shins' version are good in their own ways.

Finally, Iron and Wine's cover of Such Great Heights. If you like acoustic guitar work, you'll apperciate this song. It's folky and a very different perspective on this song. Because of the slow tempo, the verses seem a little long, but that's the only flaw I see in this song.

Basically, if you like the Postal Service, this single will be worth it to you. It's only a few bucks to find out anyways.

If you've only heard one song by The Postal Service, there's a good chance it's "Such Great Heights." If you're trying to decide between buying its parent album (Give Up) or buying just the single, I would strongly advise checking out the album. It's a strong, cohesive work, and if you're a fan of "Such Great Heights," you will likely find the other songs appealing as well. However, this single makes a great supplement to Give Up. "There's Never Enough Time" is a simple but effective song that would not have been out of place on the album. The Shins do a great version of "We Will Become Silhouettes" that rivals the original. The Iron & Wine version of "Such Great Heights" is not to my taste, as I find this arrangement drags too much and does not effectively convey the feeling of a well-written song; however, fans of modern folk may find it appealing.

For a great remix of "Such Great Heights," consider also picking up The District Sleeps Alone Tonight.

I got this single for two reasons. First, I had a gift card that was expiring, so I started searching for a CD I could buy for under $7 including shipping. Second, I'd heard this song in many places and already liked it. So I decided to support the group and buy the single.

It shouldn't be a surprise, then, that I like the song. What was surprising to me, though, is that track 4 is the cover by Iron and Wine - which I'd heard on commercials and also liked, but didn't know who had performed. So the purchase turned out to have a bonus component.