CD Reviews

Postmarks

Postmarks | Unfiltered

By MATTHEW GASTEIER | February 20, 2007

3.0 Stars

Like the lovelorn image of a sad-eyed woman looking off into the distance, Postmarks’ preferred mood is melancholy and their touchstones are French pop of the ’60s, or rather an idealized notion of retro Continental cool. The instrumentation — unobtrusive guitars, string arrangements, vibraphones — is impeccable. But like any successful mood merchants, they keep the spotlight on their singer, Tim Yehezkely, whose voice floats around wistfully, as if she were a broken-hearted vixen sulking in the corner. “Goodbye” blends swaying strings with an upbeat rhythm section punching through verses that hint at a darker intention than the music might imply; in the apt closer, “The End of the Story,” the album weeps pianos and bass. Postmarks is an opiate-laced journey, but you can never be sure whether the underlying sadness or the smooth veneer is meant to dominate. It can leave an uneasy feeling; more often, though, the mood is a way to set a tone that is absolutely pop.

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Postmarks, "Goodbye" (mp3)

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