Somewhere in my head I keep a book of lists. Inside this book I keep track of who I believe are the most prolific songwriters working at any given moment. Despite all of the negative press that he's brought upon himself, and in light of the fact that Rock and Roll was the most overrated album of 2003, I'd still have to say Ryan Adams is cranking out good songs at the fastest pace right now. Close to the top would be Matthew Pryor whose work with Get Up Kids and the New Amsterdams, is coming fast and furious, but he could likely slip if another GUK album doesn't soon follow. Steve Earle has been on a tear since he kicked the junk and got out of clink, but I think maybe the best candidate to replace Adams, (now that he's on the injured reserve list) is Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service.

Unlike most fans of Gibbard, I came in though the Postal Service entrance which I instantly became very fond of, but compared to the amazing guitar work Gibby puts on display on Transatlanticism it pales. Being a long-time guitar player and session man, I'm always on the look-out for someone who comes up with a novel way of working the six strings, and it's been a while since I've heard such an inventive use of the instrument. True, this year has seen some great guitar albums, ex-At the Drive-In alums Mars Volta and Sunny Day Real Estate's new incarnation as The Fire Theft, came with some wicked fretwork, but Gibbons weaves his guitar magic with a less showy, less-is-more approach, using simple lines that interplay at counterpoint. Rich use of the instrument that smacks at times of Robin Guthrie's heyday with the Cocteau Twins.

Transatlanticism starts off full blast with "The New Year" a big anthemic guitar opus that sounds like something off of Guided By Voices Isolation Drills. Then right away brings things down several notches with a lovely tune called "Lightness" that contains a passage with a familiar sounding harmony, that tormented me until I finally figured out that it sounded like Prefab Sprout's Paddy McAloon. Gibbard's singing voice is fast becoming one of my favorites, he uses it sparingly and effortlessly reaches high-notes with no falsetto. And no matter how big the guitars grow behind him, he basically stays the course and still manages to keep it well out in front.

Lyrically he's no Paul Westerberg or Tom Waits, but his words bear scrutiny and seem to match wonderfully with the tone of the song. He has the sense to steer clear of the overwrought nonsense so many Emo bands seem to be spewing. Not that Death Cab for Cutie is an Emo band, even though you'll most likely find their CD's in the punk and Emo section. True, there are times when he uses the distorted power chords, but they're the exception and used to make a point rather than to be the point. No there are very few of the trappings of Emo-dom on this record; though on some of the bigger more atmospheric tunes I hear a little Sunny Day influence and everyone always considered them to be an Emo band. I guess Yes was an Emo band too.

On the lovely ode to lost love "Title and Registration" he sings "The glove-compartment is inaccurately named - and everybody knows it/
So I'm proposing - a swift orderly change - 'cause behind it's doors there's nothing to keep my fingers warm/ and all I find - is souvenirs from better times . . ." And I don't know if the timeline makes this possible but I'd swear, "The Death of an Interior Decorator," is a veiled farewell to Elliot Smith. The song contains many of those little Beatlesque chord progressions that Elliot used so much. The suicide victim in the song is ostensibly a woman, but I still have to wonder as much as it sounds like the late great Elliot?

Interestingly enough I compared his voice and the style of many of the tunes on The Postal Service album to last year's other unfortunate suicide loss - Matthew Jay. In any case with it's wonderfully inventive use of the guitar and the decadently lush soundscapes created by his fellow Cuties including guitarist/organist Christopher Walla, and bassist Nick Harmer whom both share songwriting credits with Gibbard throughout, you could make a pretty convincing case for Transatlanticism being the best record of 2003.