Trivial info, but I used to listen to a radio show that PO member Larry Dean hosted back in our hometown of Flint, MI. The guy has certainly moved up in the world as evidenced by his inclusion in this way-gifted indie-pop band out of Chicago. Chris Stamey's also on board, handling engineering duties, so there's no surprise Fables In Slang has a sheen to it that you could suntan to. The best tunes -- "Deliver My Letter," "Brain Damaged," "Fondly" -- deliver some spank that recalls Velvet Crush or the Shoes, while the lyrics are seom of the most consistently clever I've heard since All About Chad cashed it in. A few of the ballads wind on to half-past-never, but that's just quibbling. Great twee in the most positive sense of the term.

Ben Hamper, Dead Flowers, 2001

Something was very familiar right off with this new album by Stephen Becker and Larry O. Dean-fronted band Post Office. The chiming, edgy guitar chords, the intelligent lyrical wordplay. Yeah, and Chris Stamey (dB's) production is instantly identifiable as well. A perfect match. Influences like The Squeeze, Robyn Hitchcock, Graham Parker, and Elvis Costello keeping popping immediately to the surface throughout and fans of those will surely find everything and more to like about this outing. I found myself spellbound by the talent spilling out of the speakers and wondering how it might sound if the boys explored the ground that's been laid before them much deeper in the years to come

Bryan Baker, Gajoob

Fables In Slang, the new release from Chicago quartet Post Office, pays homage to brainy, adventurous poppers across the decades: The Kinks, XTC (Whose Colin Moulding is name-dropped in the style-hopping epic "Semiprecious Stone"), The Plimsouls, Nothing Painted Blue; the rootsy "Anhedonia" even offers a taste of David Lowery's Cracker. Fables In Slang -- mixed by Chris Stamey, a gentleman who knows a little about brainy, adventurous pop himself -- reaps the benefits of having a pair of skilled sonbgwriters in the group, Larry O. Dean and Stephen Becker.

Rick Cornell, Miles of Music Zine

Fronted by Stephen Becker and Larry O. Dean, the Post Office aren't short of pop credentials, and they certainly don't disappoint on Fables In Slang - a veritable feast of ace tunes and intelligent lyrics. Produced with the right amount of jangle by ex-dB Chris Stamey, fans of this sort of thing will instantly be transported back to the heady days of late '70s and early '80s radio, when the airwaves were inhabited by superior talent such as Elvis Costello and Squeeze, and top songs were, by definition, funny, heartfelt, instant, awkward and perfect, and invariably came in at 2:59. But Fables In Slang is so much more than a gentle ride down memory lane. The best tracks here - "Deliver My Letter", "Fondly", "Semiprecious Stone", "Susan Faludi", etc. - are utterly timeless pop, stifled only by their lack of credibility amongst 12 year olds rather than any musical deficiency. So, if you're in the mood for guitar driven hooks, sharp words and have no inclination to follow a synchronised dance routine, get down to the post office (sorry - couldn't help it) and send these chaps some $$$.

Leicester Bangs (UK), December 2001

Wow! Totally killer and this Chicago power pop outfit is going to set the indie power pop world a mini-fire with many wanting to convince others of this bands' mix of amped up Stamey pop charms, which is not a huge surprise since Stamey mixed this beauty! I hear hints of Velvet Crush and NZ pop bands such as The Chills, The Verlaines or Straightjacket Fits, quite strongly, as well--when the indie-jangle comes in, it really resonates wonderfully and is most familiar. You'll find a bit of mid-western heartland folky soul blended in and balancing itself nicely against this terribly and consistently enjoyable little pop gem that adds just the right amount of messy open chords inside its sweet center-of-being to rock quite comfortably. Yes, sir kind folks, I find myself typing: Extremely Highly Recommended.

Not Lame Recordings, 2001

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