Are any of you geniuses familiar with Parkinson’s Law? You may hear some of your bosses or managers mention it from time to time, but they may not call it by name. The concept is, “Work expands to fill the time allowed." Some of you lazy clock-milkers that wipe the counter or sweep the floor for an extra hour at the end of your shift to avoid more challenging work are already practicing it. Really, its human nature…most folks that are given two hours to complete a task will take the full amount of time and even wait until the last minute to start. The main glaring exception is auto mechanics, that somehow find a way to charge you four hours and almost $300 for work that took them 45 minutes.

Well, this latest solo offering from POSIES songwriting mastermind KEN STRINGFELLOW hit my mailbox about three weeks ago, and I’ve not been able to put it away. After hearing the split “Private Sides� CD he released with JON AUER a few months back, I was particularly anxious to hear an entire album of his bittersweet creations. And in normal POSIES fashion, two or three listens to this disc unlocks a vibrant and addictive set of stunning songs that brings you back again and again.

As familiar as I am with Parkinson’s Law, I’m not sure what you call, “Work expands so that you can keep listening to a CD relentlessly." That seems to be the law I’ve practiced these past few weeks. I find myself creating tasks just so I can keep the disc spinning, i.e. polishing the switch plates, dusting the insides of closets, whatever. Once the regular tasks are done that necessitated putting this on, I’ve taken great pleasure in creating more.

Not a lot of up-front guitar on this one. There are a few choice guitar solos from KS, but mostly the emphasis is on piano, and some cool orchestration. STRINGFELLOW's own style emerges in abundance. He really has broken free of his early influences and forged his own brand of acidic power pop, with the exception of the Difford-esque "Let Me Do", which would fit perfectly on a 90's SQUEEZE album. “Any Love (Cassandra Et Lune)� is a simple acoustic song, and hands-down the most addictive melody I’ve heard this year. I rearranged my wife’s collection of glass thimbles by color, size, and vendor just so that I could listen to it again and again. The soaring, crisscrossing melodies in “Cyclone Graves� are also irresistible. Alt-rock purists continue to laud the 70s work of Chilton in BIG STAR as the height of discontented Anglo-pop. I’m not arguing that it was great stuff, but frankly STRINGFELLOW surpassed the very best CHILTON material years ago. There aren’t many artists that can spin such a web of alluring hooks, while still retaining such an air of desperation, and even despair at times. Check out “For Your Sake� for the best post-POSIES creation to date. It’s all there…melancholy, kaleidoscopic melodies, great vocals…the works. It’s the perfect thing to have on while putting the fifth coat of paint on the kitchen chairs.

When you ask most people, “How are you?� they will respond with an answer that says (either verbally or in body language) something between, “Not too terrible� and “I’ve had better days." KEN STRINGFELLOW has found a way of putting the despondency of the human condition to constructive use. Buy this CD and listen to it a few times. If you’re up, it’ll keep you there. If you’re down, this disc will help you understand that at least one Seattle-based songwriter has been there too.

those 3 words are the reason im gona try it out lol

I can't think of another way to describe it. The POSIES stuff was the same way!!