''Dear 23'' is the second album by

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

Alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

/ grunge/

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ...

band

The Posies The Posies were an American power pop group. The band was formed in 1986 in Bellingham, Washington, United States, by primary songwriters Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow. Their music has its origins in Merseybeat and the Hollies. They are ...

. The album was rereleased by Omnivore Recordings in 2018. The first single was "

Golden Blunders "Golden Blunders" is a song by the American alternative rock band the Posies, released as the first single released from its major label debut album '' Dear 23'' in 1990. History A Japanese single of this is known to exist and features three ve ...

," which was later covered by

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

. "Apology" appears on '' Children of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the Second Psychedelic Era, 1976–1995''.

Critical reception

The ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television a ...

'' called ''Dear 23'' "one of the year`s most engaging albums," writing that it delivers "a contemporary edge to the mid-`60s British Invasion sound of groups such as the Hollies." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...

'' wrote that group "avoids self- conscious revivalism with strong, intelligent songwriting and a solidly modern rock beat." ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' praised the "harmony-laden power pop sound." ''

Paste Paste is a term for any very thick viscous fluid. It may refer to: Science and technology * Adhesive or paste ** Wallpaper paste ** Wheatpaste, A liquid adhesive made from vegetable starch and water * Paste (rheology), a substance that behaves a ...

'' wrote that "the sound, coaxed to life by English producer John Leckie, seemed to literally erupt from the speakers, brimming with hooks, harmonies and songs so captivating and effusive, repeated listens became all but mandatory."

Track listing

All tracks by Jon Auer & Ken Stringfellow

Personnel

;The Posies *

Jon Auer Jonathan Paul "Jon" Auer (born September 29, 1969) is an American musician who co-founded the power pop band The Posies, along with Ken Stringfellow. Auer and Stringfellow also participated in the rejuvenated Big Star and in 2003 released ''Priv ...

– vocals, guitars *

Ken Stringfellow Kenneth Stuart Stringfellow (born October 30, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and producer. Best known for his work with The Posies, R.E.M., and the re-formed Big Star, Stringfellow's discography includ ...

– vocals, guitars *Arthur "Rick" Roberts – bass *Mike Musburger – drums ;Technical *Grant Alden – Typography *

– Engineer, Assistant Engineer *

Gary Gersh Gary Gersh is an American music industry executive who previously managed recording artists including Nirvana, Soundgarden and the Foo Fighters. As president of AEG's touring division he has worked with bands and musicians such as Luke Combs, Tyl ...

– Executive Producer *Fred Kelly – Assistant Engineer *John Leckie – Producer, Engineer, Mixing *

Stephen Marcussen Stephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California, United States. He has been mastering music since 1979. Biography Marcussen's introduction to music recording happened in 1976 when, at ...

– Mastering *Karen Moskowitz – Photography *Arthur "Rick" Roberts – Cover Art Concept *Carl Smool – Set Design *Dennis R. White – Art Direction, Set Design

References

{{Authority control 1990 albums The Posies albums Albums produced by John Leckie Geffen Records albums