whichwayup.org

01/02/07 05:52 PM: Favorite Albums of All-Time (Part II)

Dntel, Life is Full of Possibilities (2001, Plug Research)

Take your pick, which song changed your life: ”(This is) the Dream of Evan and Chan” or “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea?” Answering that question probably says a lot about your taste in music. Or maybe I’m full of it. I first heard this Dntel record before I had any idea who Ben Gibbard was, or that he was in some band called Death Cab for Cutie. I was blown away by ”(This is) the Dream of Evan and Chan,” but for some reason neglected to do any further research into who Jimmy Tamborello was, or how this album came to be. It was only a year or so later that I heard Give Up by the Postal Service. At that point I put the pieces together, bought Something About Airplanes by Death Cab for Cutie, and the rest was history. If only someone had sent me the memo earlier.

Now don’t make the mistake of thinking because you like the Postal Service, you’ll enjoy this record. Sure, Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel) is part of the Postal Service, but this record is electronic music—not radio friendly pop songs. If you like Massive Attack, Autechre, Telefon Tel Aviv or other electronic artists, you’ve probably already heard this record. If not, well then go to it. One reason I enjoy electronic/ambient music is that I tend to listen to the record as a collective piece of work, rather than waiting to hear individual songs. It makes it harder to pick stand-out tracks, but the overall effect is generally more powerful than a pop record.