The Postmarks

Here's the thing about covers: everyone enjoys listening to them at least once. A good cover brings something new to the song and makes you listen to it from a different perspective. Because everything sounds good under the thick veneer of hazy twee pop, including the Ramones and Bob Marley, the Postmarks’ effort is enjoyable on multiple listens. By-the-Numbers began as a project to release one cover each month for 2008. Each song’s title has a number in it that corresponds to the month (beginning with "One Note Samba” for January, and ending with "11:59” for November). The album ends with a cover of the Pointer Sisters’ "Pinball Number Count,” the song from a popular Seasame Street counting cartoon. Despite venturing into different genres, from reggae to surf rock, the album has a consistency that’s aided by dreamy and layered instrumentation, and Tim Yehezkely’s wavering voice.