Posies Dear 23

Though it may be underappreciated outside of the band's dedicated cult audience, 1990's DEAR 23 is simply one of the very best pop records of its decade. The Posies hailed from Seattle, but unlike their more celebrated geographic neighbors, they largely avoided grunge. Indeed, with its impossibly sweet Hollies-like harmonies and John Leckie's lush, detailed production, DEAR 23 is downright psychedelic in spots. At heart, however, it's a mature, thoughtful, occasionally folk-inflected pop album. Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow are unafraid to tackle grown-up emotions, as on the album's melancholy centerpieces, "Any Other Way" and "You Avoid Parties." The singer/songwriters are equally gifted at sprightly pop like the Monkees-like opener "My Big Mouth" and the brilliant single "Golden Blunders," as well as weightier efforts like the flinty "Help Yourself" and the endlessly swirling eight-minute closer, "Flood of Sunshine." A near-flawless record, DEAR 23 is an essential artifact of '90s power pop.

• Genre: Rock
• Format: Vinyl