The Posies: Solid States

Washington’s alt.power-poppers back with their eighth.

The Posies Solid States album cover

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When The Posies played at London’s 100 Club last month, tracks from 1993’s joyous Frosting On The Beater featured heavily at the nuts end of the set. The album, a power-pop gem glistening through the Puget Sound murk, was both milestone and millstone, a classic by which every subsequent release would be judged.

Solid States isn’t a return to that kind of pristine form, but it’s been a difficult time for the band (bass player Joe Skyward lost his battle with cancer in March, and drummer Darius Minwalla died last year), and the shoots of recovery are poking through.

It sounds more like a collection of polished home recordings than a truly coherent band album, but when the harmonies fly and the melodies tumble – as they do on the genuinely lovely Titanic or on the soaring Squirrel vs Snake – The Posies can still reach those old highs.

Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 39 years in music industry, online for 26. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.

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