Customer Reviews

WE WILL BECOME SILHOUETTES [Vinyl]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I didn't think I was missing much until I got this single, its as or more addictive than the album. Worth every penny just for "Be Still My Heart" and the remixes give the other tracks an incredibly fresh sound and feel. If you love Postal Service you will LOVE this single! Cheers.

A band like the Postal Service produces singles easily -- their trip-hop is fresh, sweet and wistful, as well as being wickedly catchy. And Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) and Jimmy Tamborell (Dntel) were in top form in the wistful, lyrically weird "We Will Become Silhouettes."

A flowing, strange story-song, "We Will Become Silhouettes" tells what happens when for some reason, the air causes cells to "Divide at an alarming rate until our shells/Simply cannot hold all our insides in,/And that's when we'll explode/(and it won't be a pretty sight)." Interpret that as you will, but the apocalyptic whimsy of it is irresistable.

A new song follows it: "Be Still My Heart," an enchanting little ballad with rapid percussion overlaid with organ and synth. "Nothing Better (Styrofoam Remix)" is a fair remix that is off in some parts (what is with that fizzing noise?) but retains the plaintiveness as the original. And finally there is the laid-back "We Will Become Silhouettes (Matthew Dear's Not Scared Mix)," which is stripped-down and fragile-sounding.

"We Will Become Silhouettes" is a bit of an oddball song, on an album full of songs about loneliness and lost love. Lyrically, it sounds like one of the Flaming Lips' more mainstream songs. Not that that's a bad thing -- it adds a sense of strangeness and fun to Postal Service's debut. It certainly reflects in the cover, with a rather startled-looking young man surrounded by people who are fading away.

This single does a good job of also showing off the kinds of music that Postal Service can do -- the title song is poppy and smooth, while the second is sort of synthy-drummy. What is even better, the remixes are good. Most remixes cloud over what made the song good in the first place, but Postal Service's are well-done.

"We Will Become Silhouettes" is a solid single, especially with the well-done remixes and extra song. It'll probably leave you humming, "And we'll become silhouettes when our bodies finally go..."

This collection of singles retains all of the charm and lyric sophistication of the other Postal Service work. We Will Become Silhouettes appears on two tracks. The original is ethereal and upbeat. Matthew Dear's Not Scared Mix takes it to the next level, making the happy song even catchier. Be Still My Heart will be a favorite of Such Great Heights fans. With story lyrics and happy back beat, the song is something to listen to when you need a pick-me-up. Nothing Better (Styrofoam Remix) launches straight into electronica.

The Postal Service always teeters on the edge of being too twee... and _We Will Become Silhouettes_ showcases this fine line. The light glitchiness help leaven Gibbard's lyric, which themselves walk the line of precious and meaningful. "Be Still My Heart" grounds itself with a deeper bassline to counterbalance the sweet, if silly, romantic tendencies. Styrofoam, in his own work, has leaned increasingly on vocalists, and on his mix of "Nothing Better," adds an appealing crunciness to the track. Matthew Dear takes on "We Will Be Become Silhouettes" by stripping out the rhythm except for a click track and filling the background with broken, disembodied voices -- a surprise, considering how much rhythm plays into his own work -- but here, it supplies a nice contrast to the original.

Firstly, if you like any Postal Service song, the album Give Up is essential. The three singles released from it are good supplements, but should certainly not replace it.

As to the single for "We Will Become Silhouettes," it is excellent. The first track is simply the version found on Give Up. Tracks three and four are cool remixes, one of the title track and one of another Give Up track, "Nothing Better." The latter is particularly good. The highlight here, however, is "Be Still My Heart," a lovely song that would not have been out of place on Give Up. It has a great sound and wonderful lyrics and is by itself worth the few dollars this single costs.

I know ... it's a single. But I love just about everything that The Postal Service puts out. I just wish it were longer. It's wonderful.

Every song on this CD is good. Most CDs come out with two or three good songs and you feel cheated. This CD puts that bitterness to rest. Pick a song, any song and you'll like it. In the vein as Rilo Kiley they deconstruct society and in an upbeat way. However, these songs inspire hope, where say Death Cab For Cutie inspire a long fall off of something tall, these are wonderfully sung, masterfully produced, and the feelings from track one continues to the last one without any repetition. The emotive constructions run the gambit of apathy, hope, depression ("this place is a prison/ these people aren't your friends/ it can't be a party when it happens every night") to creativity and love. I have nothing bad to write about this CD. After all this time, I still listen to it.

again this band really is wonderful. I wish they lived closer and I would love to do their video! Get this one all their death cab & postal service stuff. Plans is still on my player :)

enjoy!
Love
Denny

The Postal Service is hands down one of my favorite bands out there...kind of sucks since Ben Gibbard (lead singer) is now part of Death Cab For Cutie, last time I knew. Being my second favorite of the 3 out there, the single includes the original, "Be Still My Heart", and a remix of "Nothing Better", and a remix of "We Will Become Silhouettes". I do not particularly care for the remix of "Nothing Better" as it was a little awkward to hear, not just the first time but everytime I go to listen to it. The remix of "WWBS" however, is pretty cool. It almost disects the song so that you get a feel of what actually went into the original and what I found was things I had missed musically in the original; it was very nicely done in my opinion. Certainly worth the money to get this one, and the others for anyone who is a Postal Service fan!

My preference of the 3 singles are (in order): "Such Great Heights", "We Will Become Silhouettes", and lastly "District Sleeps Alone Tonight" Hope you find what you're looking for though! (I have given reviews of the others, so go check them if you like Postal Service's music!!!)

I ran into this group quite by accident, and what really caught my eye, besides the name of the group, is the art work on
the album. Who did it? I love it. I downloaded Silhouette and District Sleeps Alone from another album and have them
going sort of non-stop.