Richmond alt-poppers Positive No have been on the local scene for a while, but they've been taking their time to get everything perfect before releasing any material. This attention to detail shows on the first song from their upcoming debut EP, Via Florum. "Pocket Park" is a gorgeous slice of shimmering power-pop that will nestle into your brain and stay there all day, making you smile every time you recall its excellent melody.
Vocalist Tracy Wilson, formerly of the underrated New Jersey post-hardcore band Dahlia Seed, really stands out on this track. Her vocals are reminiscent of any number of excellent female-fronted guitar-pop bands coming out of the post-Nirvana alternative rock scene of the early 90s. On a post from Positive No's tumblr that explains the genesis of "Pocket Park," Wilson refers to early 90s Welsh band The Darling Buds, which seems appropriate (especially in light of the fact that The Darling Buds wrote one of my favorite songs of all time). Wilson explains that the song's lyrics relate to Scuffletown Park, a tiny park located in the alley between Strawberry and Stafford Streets/Park and Stuart Avenues. According to Wilson, the song "celebrates a local park that offered us apartment dwellers an opportunity to relax in a green oasis."
Wilson's lyrics are given strong musical backing--drummer Willis Thompson, formerly of Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, lays down a driving beat that provides a strong backbone over which guitarist Kenneth Close's melodies have plenty of space to glitter and shine. On their tumblr, Close describes his ambition when writing "Pocket Park"'s music as "want[ing] to come up with something as short and sweet as 'Saints'," a Breeders tune from their 1993 album Last Splash. Close states that "Pocket Park" is the first song Positive No wrote as a band, and therefore, it "will always be a special one." Sounds pretty special to us, too. Listen here:
Positive No's first EP, Via Florum, will be out digitally on October 1 via Little Black Cloud Records. A limited vinyl edition will follow in November, which can be pre-ordered here. The band will be doing a show celebrating Via Florum's vinyl release at Gallery 5 on November 8, so if you'd rather wait and grab it in person, be sure and mark your calendar!