Blood Candy

The Posies are an excellent band, lyrically and musically, a lot of my favorite songs of all time come from their incredible catalog of work. This record, while just as unique and sonically interesting as all of their other records, falls a little short of their usual genius. Being fair, how can every record be impacting and captivating over a 20-30 year career?The Auer compositions are the strong suit of the record, although Ken does deliver a few good songs "Licenses to Hide".If you want to hear the whole record in a few songs hit "Licenses", "Accidental Architecture", "The Glitter Prize", "Notion 99", and "So Caroline".The rest kind of plods along as the "hot dog", mid-tempo sleep anthems roll in. It just feels like we're back again with some political baggage thrown in for good measure. Only once you hit "Licenses" and "Architecture" do we really feel like we've made a left turn in Candyland.Maybe the days of rock and roll have been buried next to Lindsay Lohan in Never Never Land.The synthesizers and "space oddity" sounds of the record are interesting but I find myself playing the record as a backdrop waiting for something to knock me over the head. Maybe it's designed to be that way....I gave it four stars because when you hit the gems they are amazing, but the rest is the filling in the Twinkie. Jon and Ken do give you some surprisingly out there tunings and beautiful chords to munch on, and the vocal work is as great and well-crafted as usual. Were there drums? Yeah...there were drums on the record. Should've named it Hot-Dogatron, or Pro-Tools Architecture.

First off - the clips don't summarize well these songs, which go off in many different directions. Particularly notably in that is the only song clip I didn't like, Licenses to Hide, which song actually sounds nothing like the clip. Buy the whole album vs single cuts or you'll miss out on 90% of the art and miss what the Posies have done here (hey, you can always leave the cuts you don't like off your iPod).Lots of variety here. Lots of complex art-pop and piano ballads here. I hear Beatles myrth, New Pornographers compositions, Beach Boys cheeriness, classic Posies earnestness and guitar rocker thrillers and anthems- lots to really like and enjoy here. Definitely an Album worth of music and styles- like any great work should have.I'll admit that when Ken gets behind the piano it's not my favorite style. That said, these cuts are across the board fun. They go in unpredictable places and that makes me smile and my ears happy.Lots of classicly great Posies style songs here too, enough to justify the purchase of the entire work so that you can have the freedom to sample the other cuts that perhaps are not what you expected or less immediately approachable.Bottom Line - Great album. Wonderful to have another great Posies album in the world!!!

In my opinion, they've never put out anything that was truly disappointing. Of course some albums are better than others and I'd put Blood/Candy in my top three. Not a mediocre song on the disc. Their voices sound better than ever and there are hooks galore. I can't stop listening and singing along. Now I just have to learn all the words so I can stop mumbling.

Big Posies fan, this frankly just isn't very good. I see and can respect where they are going on this, but I can sum this up as follows: the songs just aren't very catchy.The album was tough for me to get through. Perhaps this will grow on me with subsequent listens, although I struggled with their previous album as well.Sorry guys, really wanted to like this.

Un disco muy bueno de una banda que nunca defrauda . Y a un precio estupendo , no se puede pedir mas.