By far the most well-known Song from the only album to ever materialize out of Ben Gibbard’s side project, The Postal Service. Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie fame) co-wrote the album, Give Up, with producer and friend Jimmy Tamborello. While the style of the album could almost fit in with the rest of Gibbard’s work in Death Cab, it’s strictly electronic instrumental sound differs it stylistically from the rest of the Death Cab repertoire. “Such Great Heights,” released before the album as a single, would prove to be the gem that the project would be known for, as it was featured in several commercials, movie trailers, and for a time had a solid place at the top of the charts.

“Such Great Heights” begins with building synthesizer parts and a quick, steady electric drum beat that sets the tone for the song as an up-beat toe-tapper. Gibbard’s vocals seem almost all too familiar and are so catchy that it’s hard not to know the words after only a few listenings. It feels as though Gibbard speaks directly to the listener through the verses, but once the chorus hits, the song is brought to another level. The words flow with pure and perfect melody on top of the sustained organ that fills out the electronic keyboards.

After the second chorus is the beautifully simple electric guitar solo, which is so catchy that this is the only part of the song I find myself whistling whenever it’s brought to memory. Odds are you have heard this song, even if you think you haven’t, but it’s definitely a staple that needs to be known, along with the rest of the album. As much as I love Death Cab, I’d kill for Gibbard to team up with Tamborello for another Postal Service album.

This is one of those instances where it’s possible that the cover version may be more well known to some than the original version. This cover was composed and recorded by Iron & Wine, and has been featured in the film Garden State and, like the original, in several commercials. Iron & Wine is comprised of songwriter Samuel Beame, and there is no shortage of amazing music in his catalog; he has a folky, acoustic style, sometimes accompanied by slide guitar riffs and layered vocals, but somehow every album has a different feel, each better than the last.

This cover is so drastically different from the original that it’s almost hard to tell that they’re the same song. Beame plays the song with only an acoustic guitar, finger picking the chords slowly but in perfect melody. His voice is soothing and drawn out and gives the song a feel that it could have been written a century before it actually was. It’s a beautiful rendition that would be hard for anyone else to match. The cover changes the mood completely, and it’s amazing that one song can fulfill two completely different emotions depending on how it’s played.