I’m not going to lie. I love Streetlight Manifesto. I’ve been anticipating this album since at least 2008. It was finally released on March 16th, 2010. 99 Songs of Revolution is an ambitious project featuring Streetlight Manifesto, Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, and two other bands related to Streetlight. This album is the first installment.

It is entirely comprised of covers. Covers. First impressions? It’s lazy. There, I said it. Tomas Kalnoky is a fuckin’ genius. Streetlight Manifesto’s previous album,Somewhere in the Between showcased his songwriting ability. This man has so many ideas and the music makes that clear. So a cover album is kind of a disappointment, especially since one of Streetlight’s albums is a remake of Catch-22’s Keasbey Nights.

On second listen, I realize that lazy was an unfair judgement. 99 Songs of Revolution is literally supposed to be 99 songs. Who am I to judge Tomas Kalnoky for not writing all 99 of them? This first installment also features some very interesting musical endeavors, most of the originals I’ve not heard. The ones I have heard, though, caught my eyes and ears: ”Hell” by the Squirrel Nut Zippers; “Just” by Radiohead; “They Provide the Paint for the Picture-Perfect Masterpiece That You Will Paint on the Insides of Your Eyelids by Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution, just to name a few. The album also features songs by Bad Religion, NOFX, and Paul Simon.

While it was interesting to hear Kalnoky’s take on these songs, I wasn’t overly thrilled. Even on my third listen, focusing on Kalnoky’s effort to showcase the horns, I’m just not sure how I feel about it. And then I reach the end of the album: “Such Great Heights.” Yes, you read that correctly. The Postal Service. The Postal fucking Service. Covered by a ska band. Bound to be a disaster, right?

Right?

Wrong.

The song opens with intricate horn layers, rather than the gentle electronic intro. I could only listen to this and be happy, but the song holds to this standard. Maybe it’s because I’m not as attached to any of the other songs. Regardless, this song isit and deserves your attention, regardless of how you feel about ska. Kalnoky’s gruff voice serves the song just as well as Ben Gibbard’s near-whining croon. This is not a run-of-the-mill, sped up ska cover of an old song. It is a perfect close to an album I know a lot of hard work went into that I couldn’t appreciate. This song reminds me of why I love Streetlight Manifesto. I may not come back to the rest of the album, but I will keep coming back to “Such Great Heights.”

Such Great Heights*

*I know you should support the artists and all that, but just do yourself a favor and grab this song.