The Posies - Frosting on the Beater
Here's a shocker: I don't always listen to Christ-melting black metal. Sometimes, I listen to rib-cracking death metal. And other times, I drown myself in a sea of dewy-eyed 90's rock nostalgia. I can't help it. I'll always be a grunge kid. You would never know that The Posies hailed from Seattle from listening to their music, but they were in the area when neighboring groups were breaking into the mainstream. While they didn't quite break themselves (though "Dream All Day" was a minor radio hit), they left a sugary impression on the scene. I think this is what supercilious critics would call "power pop." Whatever. It sounds like rock 'n' roll to me.
This record is thronged with infectious earworms. It's aural birthday cake, and I admit that I've eaten too much of it lately. Standout cuts? "Solar Sister," "Love Letter Boxes, "Burn & Shine," and "20 Questions." It's all about those sweet, sweet harmonies.
Mournful Congregation - The Exuviae of Gods Part II
If Frosting brings birthday cake to mind, the new Mournful Congregation EP (their second in as many years) conjures up images of...funeral cobbler? I'm groping for comparisons, but you really need to hear it for yourself. Not that Exuviae subverts expectations. If you have a taste for this stuff, you know what these Australian doomsters bring to the table. Imagine, if you will, overwrought melodies (yes, that's a compliment), layered compositions, and acoustic guitar flourishes. I might prefer Part II to its predecessor. I've given it more spins, if that counts for anything.
As with Part I, the guys have reworked and re-recorded a song from their demo days ("Heads Bowed"). It actually starts the album, and if I'm being honest, I usually skip it. It comes off as emaciated when it's followed by modern material. That's just me, though. Mournful Congregation remains my favorite funeral doom band by a wide margin. Choice tracks? Look, this thing runs for less than thirty minutes, so you might as well listen to all of it.
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