“Give Up” is a fitting pandemic soundtrack—in more ways than one
The album by The Postal Service shows that great things can be accomplished at a distance
THE THRILL is gone. Even over Zoom, millions have discovered, work stubbornly remains work. But if isolation seems a grind, have a listen to “Give Up” by the Postal Service, a collaboration in 2003 between Ben Gibbard of the indie band Death Cab for Cutie, and Jimmy Tamborello, aka Dntel, a pioneering electronica producer. Not only do its lyrics anticipate today’s claustrophobia; the way the album was made is itself a salutary tale of long-distance ingenuity.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Pop goes postal”
Culture June 13th 2020
- Two authors wrestle with inequality and the allure of populism
- In the world of architecture, death is not always fatal
- Language is a telling clue to unacknowledged racial attitudes
- Published 75 years ago, “Brideshead Revisited” set off a lasting cult
- “Give Up” is a fitting pandemic soundtrack—in more ways than one
- Jam embodies resilience—and dogged optimism
From the June 13th 2020 edition
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