With the 10th anniversary of Give Up — being celebrated with a re-release, festival headlining gigs and the first tour in nearly a decade, The Postal Service is right back at the forefront of indie music, so there’s no better time to pay tribute.
Music blog Independent Clauses wrangled 22 different artists wanting to do just that for Never Give Up, a double cover album featuring folk and indie-pop takes of each track from Give Up. They prove infinitely coverable, as Iron & Wine’s ubiquitous version of “Such Great Heights” already suggested.
Norman act Young Readers turns in a quaint, romantic turn on “We Will Become Silhouettes,” while Oklahoma City nerd rockers Dr. Pants turn “Clark Gable” in a punchy, funky anthem. Tulsa’s The Duke of Norfolk twists “Nothing Better” into a flowery ballad, replacing the cold of the original with an appreciable warmth, while fellow 918-ers The Midnight Sons cap off the folk side with a charmingly lo-fi take on “Natural Anthem.”
Kris Orlowski, Venna and Seven Handle Circus all try their hand at “Such Great Heights,” all shining in different ways, which is the fun of Never Give Up: A great song is a great song, no matter who’s performing or how it’s performed. Here, one great song has been turned into three.
Never Give Up is available to download starting today at independentclauses.bandcamp.com. —Joshua Boydston
Hey! Read This:
• Dr. Pants interview
• Young Readers interview
