November 08, 2008
Meanstreet

It takes courage for an up-and-
coming indie pop band to devote
its sophomore release to covers.
The Postmarks, however, doesn’t
really have a modern-day niche
to follow anyway. The band’s
dreamy, Bacharach-esque debut
showed deference to a bygone era
of meticulous songcraft and By
the Numbers continues that path,
whether the subject is the Byrds or
Blondie. “Eight Miles High” is a ragga-
inspired 12-string workout no more.
Tim Yehezkely’s whispery vocals and
cinematic arrangement turn the song
into the anti-psychedelic. Reinventing
again, “11:59” is no slick new wave.
The band keeps its original pep, but
the homespun sound brings to mind
Saturday Looks Good to Me. Covering
songs with numbers in their titles may
be a gimmick, but it goes down so
easy you shouldn’t complain.

GRADE: A-