The Postmarks

The Postmarks make music that, at times, is part Burt Bacharach, part Beach Boys and part folk rock. That's an odd blend in 2007, but this emo-pop trio knows how to bring it together. The Postmarks have raised their profile during the past year. They're charting in the U.S. and Canada and recently signed a deal with New York-based indie label Unfiltered Records. All the fuss is about the melodic voice of lead singer Tim Yehezkely, who croons about lost love and broken hearts with a softness that can bring a hard-edged man to tears. She's got a powerful gift, but at times you wish she'd take advantage of it more. On the group's self-titled debut album, there are moments when the South Florida-based trio's compositions are so fragile and Downy-soft that Yehezkely's voice sounds more like a whisper. The Boynton Beach vocalist has a beautiful tone, but on songs such as the lead single "Goodbye," the album's most infectious tune, you'll wish the engineer had pumped up her mic a bit, as playing this disc loud enough to make out what she's singing may drive you up a wall. But the instrumentation behind her is delicate and powerful, and when such a remarkable combination hits the ears, the result is humbling.