Fans have anticipated the Posies true return for years, and now, after a hiatus during which the band release more product than it did when it was a going concern, it returns with its first new studio disc in seven years. That disc, Every Kind of Light is a good but not great addition to the band's catalog, and a sure sign that, despite numerous tries in the intervening years, Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow work best together. While the band released two live discs, a four-CD rarities box set and an EP during their so-called absence, Every Kind of Light is clearly the first thing either musician has been involved with since their last good disc together, Frosting on the Beater, worth hearing. From Stringfellow's uneven solo discs and occasionally engaging stints with the Humble Orange Band and White Flag, to Auer's own intriguing but ultimately unsatisfying solo work, nothing captivates the way the best moments here do.

So, what does the band's label do with this return? It steals its thunder almost immediately. Auer and Stringfellow have helped to round out Big Star for about a decade, and that cult favorite will return to the CD racks in September with its first studio disc in more than 30 years. In Space, to be released Sept. 27, will come just three months after the Posies own return from exile hit store shelves. Gee, I wonder which release people will notice? It would be nice to see Ryko take steps to help the Posies piggyback on the Big Star disc, but so far that hasn't happened. If the lame boogie of "Hot Thing," the lone new track on 2003's compilation The Big Star Story is any indication, the Big Star disc is going to be a disappointing dud. All the more reason to delay this a few more months and let the Posies take a real crack at rekindling the flames.