P.O.S.

With Minneapolis roots and a punk-rock pedigree, P.O.S. is not your average rapper. And that’s just what makes his fourth solo LP “We Don’t Even Live Here,” work.

Since releasing “Ipecac Neat” in 2004, P.O.S. — real name Stefon Alexander — has carved a place in the indie hip-hop scene with scalding lyrics and undeniable energy. “We Don’t Even Live Here” is, on first listen, a very different record.

Along with engineer Andrew Dawson, best known for his work with Kanye West, P.O.S. has crafted some of his most mainstream-sounding work. Synths abound as P.O.S. comes out swinging with a new style.

Once you get past the beats, it becomes apparent P.O.S. hasn’t left his social consciousness behind.

The track “Weird Friends” sums up the counter-cultural lyricism P.O.S. has come to be known for: “This world’s got a whole lot of locked doors / We decided not to live here anymore / Kicked though the norm didn’t fit / Didn’t stick to the script / Didn’t care.”

With this move towards a more modern, polished sound, P.O.S. clearly doesn’t want us to stop thinking about society.

He just wants us to dance at the same time.

By Rabi Abonour