Song of the Day: The Posies - Unlikely Places

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “Unlikely Places” by The Posies from their forthcoming album, Solid States, released on May 20th via MyMusicEmpire.

The Posies - Unlikely Places (MP3)

Over the span of their now 30-year career, Seattle band The Posies have released albums relatively few and far between. Their most recent, and seventh, effort was 2010's Blood/Candy, and then after the unexpected passing of drummer Darius Minwalla in 2015 and the very recent loss of Joe Skyward (a.k.a. Joe Bass) to cancer this March, most people assumed the band's storied history had reached its last chapter. But when new singles began circulating along with the mysterious announcement that there would be a national pop-up tour at locations only disclosed to ticket holders, it was clear the ride wasn't over. This spring, The Posies will release their eighth LP, Solid States, through a digital new music platform called MyMusicEmpire, where fans can participate in the production, release and promotion of bands' albums, like create album art and so on.

What bits of Solid States that have seen the daylight, like the previously released "Squirrel Vs. Snake" and today's featured song, "Unlikely Places", are what we hoped: the same tempered power pop, thoroughly catchy songwriting laying atop a bed of understated instrumentation. "Unlikely Places", in particular, is a paragon of this style, steadily plucking guitar and buzzy-but-unobtrusive synth. Lyrically, what could easily masquerade as a mid-tempo bubblegum break-up song takes on a resounding melancholy in light of the personal losses of the band. The track is weathered, as frayed at the edges as any band would be after a three decades of work.

The Posies are about to engage in their first US tour since 2010. Unfortunately, tickets to their Seattle pop-up have already sold out, but keep your eyes peeled on their website and Facebook page for more possibilities. For now, check out the other single, "Squirrel vs. Snake":