The Posies - Solid States
8/10
The Posies have been around for close to 30 years, enjoying some success in the ‘90’s when alt rock hit the mainstream in the wake of Nevermind. Following the death of long term drummer Darius Minwalla in 2015, the band returns with an eighth album that has been heralded as being more delicate and contemplative than anything that they have done before. For the most part, that is true but opening track We R Power bucks the trend. This song is a damned-near perfect slice of ‘60’s style, Nuggets-indebted garage rock. Imagine Cobain fronting Eels with better harmony vox and you won’t be far off. This will almost certainly be my song of 2016, it really is that good. Everything that follows that storming opener is more laid-back, classic pop-rock with an alternative edge. The songs seem faintly familiar, although there’s never any plagiarism. This isn’t breaking any barriers but, like the aural equivalent of a comfort blanket, it is warm and comfortable and will quietly worm its way into your affections. Solid States might not change anything in any significant way but the world seems a slightly better place for knowing that this exists.
8/10
