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Album Details

• Artist: Ken Stringfellow
• Album: Soft Commands
• Label: Yep Roc
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2004-08-18

I remember watching the Posies at the Republik here in Calgary so many years ago and it was most definitely one of my live show highlights. I wasn't a Posie fan from day one. No, the Posies is a thick listen that does take some time to warm up to but when you have finally gotten there, there most definitely is no turning back. So when they called it quits, a little piece of me died that day. I had been into pretty much every album, finding hidden gems on all of them. Ken Stringfellow, Posie founder, has now released his solo debut called Soft Commands. It actually has been quite some time since I have listened to his previous incarnation but everything came rushing back to me with this album. The clever songwriting and brilliant arrangements are so much a part of Ken and what he does. While this music is very accessible, you have to remember that the Posies where too and only amassed a minor hit. I don't think Stringfellow is going to hit the airwaves with this album but anyone who is willing to give him the time of day will be rewarded with a diverse album. Songs that clip along like a peppy Posies song are mixed in with loungy styled songs. You can even hear the Beach Boys on a couple songs. "You Drew" opens the album and it sounds like a mix between pop rock and Elton John. On "Let Me Do", Ken takes a crack at the closest he could come to a torch song. "For Your Sake" is quite an experimental song that ends up with mixed results. Give Soft Commands time to sink into your cranium. It took me three listens and I can't get some of these songs out of my head now. Don't look to this album for a big rock album. No, this one is about the music and the songs.

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