the postal service

the district sleeps alone tonight

'From an artist's perspective, the beauty of EPs and singles are that they provide limitless possibilities for remixes and other such toying around with pre-established songs. Pan vocals left, raise some ambient noise to a forefront level, add interesting harmonies to the chorus.

This process may be a bit more tedious for the listener. It can be hard to listen to a variety of versions of the same song. It depends on how much you enjoy the band or on how deep a level you listen to music. The avid fan can dissect the song into parts and enjoy it from a sheerly novel point of view. It gives a different insight into the creative mind at work. To the somewhat obsessive or overly analytical fans, this is an opportunity to deconstruct songs. It may even serve as an impetus to boot up your computer's music software and to attempt your own remix.

To the casual listener, though, this is a completely different ballgame. Hearing the same song played two or more times in a row is nothing but a mistake. It's as if the record's skipping. It does not move forward until an entirely different song begins.

This makes remix records a hit-or-miss trap. It's not the easiest way to hear a band for the first time. If you are a true fan of the band, though, the record becomes a playful rendition of your favorite tunes, just waiting to be split into cross sections.

That being said, the first three tracks on "The District Sleeps Alone Tonight" are definitely the brightest of highlights from The Postal Service's full length, "Give Up." The remixes are slower and, yes, the beat is persistent. The beats have a dance feel to them but the tempo tells you not to bother getting out of your seat.

Add a fourth new track and some amazing artwork to the single and you've got a high-quality companion piece to "Give Up." While "The District" shows a different side to The Postal Service, this does not stand on its own so much as it is an addendum to the full-length.

The only thing you need to decide before buying this is how big of a Postal Service fan and what kind of a music listener you are.