Audio: Letterbox
Album: Flood
Release Date: 1990
Flood is full of TMBG classics, most likely because it is a TMBG classic in and of itself. Among the big rockers and geeky tunes is one of Their most energetic songs of all time: “Letterbox”.
This song is such a mood changer. Much like many of Their Flood tracks, you can’t listen to this song without smiling to yourself.
Moments of Interest: To be completely honest, the actual backing track for this song isn’t anything too interesting. I mean, sure, the drums are pretty cool, and the accordion adds some spice to the mix, but that isn’t ever the main interest of the song.
No, what really steals the show here is the vocals. This is one of those tracks that have both Johns sing in tandem; we like those songs. The vocal melody is really cool thanks to just how fast it goes, and all of the harmonies. But once again, this isn’t the best part for me.
The speed at which the Johns are singing has always been what sticks in my mind from this song. The lyrics are winding and confusing, which works perfectly because they’re sung at such a high speed. This is one of the most fun to sing along to, just because of the challenge.
“Can you sing this fast?”
Favorite Aspect: I just love the speed and grace with which the Johns sing this song. It never ceases to be impressive, because even if I can sing along I can’t ever get it to sound as smooth.
Score: This may in fact be one of the most memorable tracks from Flood for me, which is certainly saying something. But the song has always stuck out as being impressive, and it still sticks out to this day. Because I’m so impressed, I think “Letterbox” gets a 9/10 from me.
Upcoming: Outboard Part of Man [TMBG Unlimited: July]