York Blvd.
| York Blvd. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 16, 2001 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock[1] | |||
| Length | 51:33 | |||
| Label | Vapor | |||
| Producer |
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| Acetone chronology | ||||
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York Blvd. is an album by the American band Acetone, released on January 16, 2001.[2][3] The band supported the album with a North American tour.[4] It was Acetone's final studio album, as bassist and vocalist Richie Lee died in July 2001.[5]
Production
[edit]The album was produced by Eric Sarafin and the band.[6] Vapor Records urged the band to use a producer who could help them find a tauter, more commercial sound.[7] Lee employed pitch correction on some of his vocals.[7] Acetone's guitarist, Mark Lightcap, primarily played a Yamaha SG 2000 from the 1970s; he also played trumpet on parts of the album.[8][9] Acetone used a Hammond organ on a few tracks.[10] The album title refers to York Boulevard, a street in Highland Park, Los Angeles.[11] "Wonderful World" is about indie rock music scene mindsets.[12]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| The Austin Chronicle |  [14] |
| Knoxville News Sentinel | 2/5[15] |
| Orange County Register | A−[16] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [17] |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[9] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer noted the "mangled, urban/country noir" and "vibrant new dusty psychedelic-blues", stating that "York is alive with densely arranged, tensely told stories of ruin, false accusations and ... brotherhood".[17] Billboard said that "Acetone continues to mine a deliriously beautiful yet disparate aural soundscape... By not subscribing to any one musical genre, Acetone is free to do away with conventions and limitations."[6] The Knoxville News Sentinel opined that "this one-gimmick album is lulling in small doses, before the uncompromising feebleness of Lee's vocals sinks in and the pointlessness of it all hits home."[15]
Guitar Player stated that Lightcap "weaves stark textures with simple, bone-dry tones—employing subtle attack, clanging intervals, and feedback in place of multiple parts or effects."[18] The Nashville Scene called the band a "bottom-heavy amalgam of VU whisper-drone, Young-ian twang, and Jeffersonian head trips".[19] The Orange County Register considered York Blvd. "organic chill music, a calmative with no synthetic aftertaste."[16] The Austin Chronicle advised: "Call it post-surf: warm, pastoral music so laid back it creeps up on you with its Gram Parsons twang and sends the reverb-soaked warm 'n' fuzzies creeping through your bloodstream."[14]
In 2018, the Los Angeles Times, reporting on the release of Acetone 1992–2001, labeled York Blvd. the band's best album and "a poignant epitaph", writing that Acetone specialized "in a languid blend of spacious psychedelic rock and Americana".[1] In 2023, Pitchfork deemed it one "of indie rock’s most exquisite albums".[9]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Things Are Gonna Be Alright" | 3:50 |
| 2. | "Wonderful World" | 5:00 |
| 3. | "19" | 4:10 |
| 4. | "Vibrato" | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Like I Told You" | 4:36 |
| 6. | "It's a Lie" | 4:44 |
| 7. | "Bonds" | 5:56 |
| 8. | "One Drop" | 5:55 |
| 9. | "Vaccination" | 6:36 |
| 10. | "Stray" | 6:25 |
| Total length: | 51:33 | |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Barton, Chris (January 28, 2018). "Underrated / Overrated". Los Angeles Times. p. E3.
- ^ "New Music". Dayton Daily News. January 12, 2001. p. 2C.
- ^ Saunders, Dudley (February 2001). "York Blvd". Interview. Vol. 31, no. 2. p. 98.
- ^ Nichols, Natalie (February 3, 2001). "Taking a Dreamy Ramble with Alt-Roots-Rock Acetone". Los Angeles Times. p. F12.
- ^ Dansby, Andrew (September 13, 2001). "Obits: Richie Lee". Rolling Stone. No. 877. p. 24.
- ^ a b Paoletta, Michael (January 20, 2011). "York Blvd". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 3. p. 22.
- ^ a b Rowland, Hobart (November 17, 2023). "Premiere of Acetone's 'Nobody Home (Demo)'". Magnet Exclusive. Magnet.
- ^ Fox, Darrin (May 2001). "Buzz: Acetone". Guitar Player. Vol. 35, no. 5. p. 64.
- ^ a b c Currin, Grayson Haver (November 18, 2023). "York Blvd". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ^ Perry, Jonathan (February 2001). "Reviews". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 90. p. 62.
- ^ Moreland, Falling James (September 26, 2017). "Lost '90s Anti-Rockers Star as Themselves in a New Book and Double-Album". Music. LA Weekly.
- ^ Mclaughlin, D. Michael (February 1, 2001). "Acetone – York Blvd". Short Cuts. New Times Broward-Palm Beach.
- ^ "York Blvd. Review by John Bush". AllMusic. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Chamby, Michael (September 14, 2001). "Acetone York Blvd". Music. The Austin Chronicle.
- ^ a b Campbell, Chuck (February 2, 2001). "'York Blvd.', Acetone". Weekend!. Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 17.
- ^ a b Wener, Ben (January 26, 2001). "Acetone, 'York Blvd.'". Show. Orange County Register. p. AR.
- ^ a b Amorosi, A.D. (January 7, 2001). "Record Reviews". Arts & Entertainment. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 10.
- ^ Fox, Darrin (March 2001). "York Blvd". Guitar Player. Vol. 35, no. 3. p. 114.
- ^ "Recent releases of note". Nashville Cream. Nashville Scene. January 25, 2001.