Mark Saleski:

What amazes me about all of these tunes, and I suppose Guster in general, is that the melodies drive the rest of the song construction. When asked which activity got the songwriting ball going, words or music, both Ryan and Adam replied "Music!" without hesitation. A melody, chord progression or other musical bit is fleshed out to a full song, then lyrics are written. The result seem effortless to me. Surely the words, phrases and sentences have their own musicality, but in the case of a well-crafted pop song the marriage of the two worlds, it would seem that there might be a chance for a collision. Not here.

So when I listen to a song like "The Captain", I can't imagine those words and that melody existing outside of the song. A neat trick, I think.

DJRadiohead:

You make a good point.  "The Captain" is one that had to grow on me and by that I mean I had to hear it a second time.  The rockabilly music and the (I know this is getting repetitive) harmonies sold me on this one.  Back to your point, I am often amazed by the way Radiohead treats Thom Yorke's voice as just one more powerful instrument to use in the construction of a song and the lyrics just one more layer beyond that. 

Take a song like "Manifest Destiny."  The whimsical, galloping piano just would not sound right with any other words even though the words were afterthoughts. Then, just when you think you have the song figured out, these beautiful, Beach Boys-esque harmonies erupt towards the end of the song.  I swear I hear Carl Wilson when I listen to it.

People use the phrase "arts and crafts" like they are two separate things and I guess they sometimes can be.  That said, and I know there are exceptions, art needs craftsmanship and craftsmanship is a lot more exciting when there is some artistry added to it. That is what Guster has done so well on Ganging Up on the Sun. 

Mark Saleski:

I can almost agree with your last sentiment. The one counterexample that comes to mind is more "blunt" (for lack of a better word) music like what The Ramones did. I don't know what the origin of the following is, but it always makes me laugh: Fuck Art, Let's Dance!  What's interesting is that for me, songs as completely different as "I Wanna Be Sedated" and "One Man Wrecking Machine" can draw out the same response in me...a kind of emotional swelling.