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For fans of The Posies’ major label debut Dear 23 and 1993 follow-up

Five years on, Blood/Candy proves more than worth the wait. The Glitter Prize and So Caroline are vintage Posies; a riot of sugar-rush harmonies and shimmering power chords, while a brooding Plastic Paperbacks (complete with a growling Hugh Cornwell) and the Jellyfish-esque baroque pop of Licenses To Hide (featuring Broken Social Scene’s Lisa Lobsinger) are ambitious attempts to break free from the mould.

“It’s a beautiful ride,” sighs Ken Stringfellow on Notion 99 amidst chugging guitars, celestial hooks and the whoosh of cymbals. Who are we to argue?

Paul Moody is a writer whose work has appeared in the Classic Rock, NME, Time Out, Uncut, Arena and the Guardian. He is the co-author of The Search for the Perfect Pub and The Rough Pub Guide.

The Posies: Blood/Candy

West Coast power-poppers return in style.