This is a great disc for those who liked the early R.E.M. stuff but would have prefered a more powerful guitar sound. The Posies' fourth release is brimming with chiming guitars, harmonies galore, and Cheap Trick. That's right, Robin Zander and Rick Nielsen guest on "Hate Song." Budokan it ain't, though.

If there's something I couldn't quite get about the Posies, it's the amount of filler on their albums. Frosting on the Beater had two completely awesome songs on it: "Flavor of the Month" and "Love Letter Boxes." This disc has some great tunes, too; namely "Daily Mutilation" and "Grant Hart," a tribute to Husker Du's drummer and the songwriter who wasn't Bob Mould. The ballad, "Precious Moments" isn't so bad either.

The production of Amazing Disgrace is good, but a lot of the songs don't quite make it. "Everybody is a Fucking Liar," for instance, would have made a better song if the vocals didn't sound so whiny. I mean, the Posies would be an excellent singles band, but the albums need more... oomph? I don't know. I'm a writer, not a producer.

-Jason Josephes