The Positions
Bliss!
( yesboyicecream
) 2006 
Bliss! is the
name of the debut album from the D.C. based band The Positions,
and that’s exactly what it is. By their own admission, The Positions
"worship at the altar of the pop single," and back that claim
up with pure sunny landscapes filled with sweet vocals provided by the
charming Nicole Stoops (who also sings for the NYC based band Charming),
along with the occasional boy-girl harmony and a horn section (trumpets,
trombone, and flugelhorn*)—even
some handclaps thrown in the mix for good measure. Citing
influences ranging from the 60’s (the Zombies) to the 80’s,
(come on, a band that loves Dexy’s Midnight
Runners? That’s pretty darn cool.) Bliss! is filled
with pop nuggets with a shiny classic old school production style—think
Phil Spector, maybe, and the era when singles were little stand alone
works of art -- that would work equally as well on a mixtape for a new
crush or a kiss-off for an old one.
Infectious but never sticky sweet, these songs are enthusiastic, even
though the lyrics aren’t always that way. "I Need You,"
with its sweeping, spacey melody—bright and distortion-y all at
the same time—references both the Smiths "Johnny Marr
on guitar/Steven plays our favorite song" and Pablo Almodovar.
"Caught Up," with its trading call and response vocals, unfolds
like a Q and A between jilted lovers, but I’d reckon to say that
not many would incorporate "Oh oh! Oh yeah! All right!"
into their arguments—never has heartbreak and its aftermath sounded
so sweetly endearing. Breezy, catchy, energetic and heartfelt, Bliss!
is like a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter night—sugary, warm,
and just plain good for you.
*what
the heck is a flugelhorn, you ask? (flü'g?lhôrn')
, three-valved brass instrument similar in size and shape to the trumpet
but having a conical rather than a cylindrical bore and possessing a
larger bell. Because of these differences the tone of the flügelhorn
is mellower than that of the trumpet. It is used traditionally in concert
bands and has recently been used in jazz ensembles.
>>
by : s.
| today was in October of 2006. 
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