The Posies – Blood/Candy
3 min read
Having been around for the best part of three decades, The Posies return with a brand new record titled Blood/Candy. Their first release since 2005’s Every Kind Of Light, Bloody/Candy sees The Posies develop further on their envious songwriting craftmanship and delve deeper and more thoroughly into the essence of what great music should sound like.
Recorded in both Spain and their hometown of Seattle, Bloody/Candy is a record that sees the band remain firmly sat in their comfort zone of power pop melodies and harmonized, almost grunge, originals.
Fronted by the songwriting duo that is Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer, The Posies have, in their lengthy career, never really picked away at the obscure enough to become a commercial mainstay. Though they have had their fair share of breakthrough hits such as Golden Blunders, Solar Sister and Flavor Of The Month, there has never been a mainstream lift off generated from any of their releases. Instead, The Posies have seen themselves evolve into somewhat of a cult band who are responsible for creating both inspirational and influential, carefully crafted wonders of eclectic pop.
Blood/Candy welcomes The Posies back with open arms as the record proves to be the highlight of the four piece, grunge pop Seatlites catalogue.
The album opens perfectly with raw and devotedly sung Plastic Paperbacks. The rough around the edges crooning of guest vocalist Hugh Cornwell plays perfectly among the eclectic melody and beefy, revved up chorus’. This opening number sets the record off to a fine start. In fact, most of the pearls that are included on Blood/Candy are featured at the beginning of the record.
The following The Glitter Prize is a nostalgic number that triggers memories of nineties Brit-pop. The infectious hooks pull you closer to The Posies than on any of the band previous records. With the harmonious and vocally reinforced chorus and addition of the sporadic yet charismatic female backing vocals this a gold nugget within this collection of new tracks.
Further down the album we are given a further injection of the alternative pop bands ability to deliver versatile numbers with For The Ashes adding a slight feel of darkness to the record.
The bands signature sound is heard on Blood/Candy but that sound seems more refined on this release. With songs like Licenses To Hide, we are given a colorful show of big band exuberance with the help of guest vocals courtesy of Broken Social Scene’s, Lisa Lobsinger. This particular track is the spectacle on the record with its echoed and atmospheric chorus singalong.
She’s Coming Down Again is another inclusion featured in the later half of the album that does the band justice and makes this album such a treasure among a genre teeming with one hit wonders.
Notion 99 could easily be compared to The Hollies with its breezy and boppy rhythm and equally enchanting vocal offering.
Blood/Candy is a fantastic release for these old hands of power pop and one that will, with justice, get these lads the recognition deserved from the greater mainstream.
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