Acetone is an album by the American band Acetone, released in 1997.[2][3] It was the band's first album for Neil Young's Vapor Records; Acetone's previous label, Vernon Yard, had declared bankruptcy.[4]
| Acetone | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Length | 56:58 | |||
| Label | Vapor[1] | |||
| Producer | Acetone, Scott Campbell | |||
| Acetone chronology | ||||
| ||||
The band supported the album by opening for Spiritualized on its North American tour.[5]
Production edit
The album was produced by Scott Campbell and Acetone.[6] The band already had songs worked out prior to the recordings sessions, concluding that trying to write songs in the studio had been a mistake during the sessions for their previous album, If You Only Knew.[7] The band was chiefly influenced by jazz and country, and realized that the album's songs would be performed at a faster tempo in a live setting; they also rejected "sadcore" and "slowcore" labels.[8]
Critical reception edit
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [10] |
| The Guardian | [11] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [6] |
| Pitchfork | 9.2/10[12] |
| The Times | 8/10[13] |
Stuart Berman of Pitchfork wrote that "[Richie] Lee's lyric sheet may have been filled with dejection ... but he always sang as if he was looking you in the eyes."[14] A later review by the website's Grayson Haver Currin called the album "focused and intentional in a way the band had never been, sorting through the suffering of survival with tenderness and intensity."[12] The Times declared that "Mark Lightcap's country-tinged guitars are simply gorgeous."[13] The Manchester Evening News dubbed the band "so laid-back they make JJ Cale seem uptight by comparison."[15]
Noting that Acetone "belong somewhere in the slowcore/sadcore area," The Sunday Times thought that "their music isn't just unhurried, it's completely indifferent to the passing of time."[16] The Guardian praised the "homespun, half-speed ballads."[11] The San Antonio Express-News deemed the album "atmospheric pop with a hint of guitar twang and the feeling of a slow-motion undertow".[17]
AllMusic thought that the album "finds the trio sinking deeper into a well of despair, with nothing but sparse guitar pickings, cracked vocals, and shambling rock figures to help."[9] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide wrote: "Alternately draining and invigorating, the sheer listlessness of songs such as 'Might as Well' and 'Good Life' is resuscitated by the drunk and confident stare of jazz-bar reflection."[6]
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Every Kiss" | 3:58 |
| 2. | "All the Time" | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Germs" | 4:44 |
| 4. | "Might as Well" | 4:14 |
| 5. | "Shobud" | 6:46 |
| 6. | "All You Know" | 5:37 |
| 7. | "Good Life" | 3:52 |
| 8. | "Dee" | 4:30 |
| 9. | "Waltz" | 5:37 |
| 10. | "Another Minute" | 3:55 |
| 11. | "So Slow" | 3:45 |
| 12. | "Chew" | 6:14 |
| Total length: | 56:58 | |
Personnel edit
- Steve Hadley – drums
- Richie Lee – vocals, bass
- Mark Lightcap – guitar, vocals
References edit
- ^ "Acetone – 1992–2001". Uncut. September 18, 2017. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ "Acetone Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Saraceno, Christina (August 3, 2001). "Acetone's Richie Lee Dies at 34". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
- ^ Mehle, Michael (April 24, 1998). "Sleep Rockers California's Acetone Makes Waves with Hushed, Unhurried Sound". Rocky Mountain News. p. 18D.
- ^ Beckley, Fred (December 8, 1997). "It Was a Lulled House at the Trocadero". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C7.
- ^ a b c MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 7.
- ^ "Acetone". The Charlotte Observer. 5 Dec 1997. p. 16E.
- ^ Lambert, Yon (27 Feb 1998). "L.A. trio Acetone loves lazy paces". Weekend. The State. Columbia. p. 13.
- ^ a b "Acetone". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. Muze. p. 33.
- ^ a b Cox, Tom (February 20, 1998). "Acetone Acetone". The Guardian. p. T18.
- ^ a b Currin, Grayson Haver (November 18, 2023). "Acetone Acetone". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
- ^ a b Connolly, Paul (February 28, 1998). "New album releases". Metro. The Times. p. 11.
- ^ "Acetone: 1992-2001". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2021-09-13.
- ^ Taylor, Paul (27 Feb 1998). "Acetone Acetone". Manchester Evening News. p. 21.
- ^ Edwards, Mark (February 22, 1998). "Acetone". Culture. The Sunday Times. p. 20.
- ^ Beal Jr., Jim (May 15, 1998). "Crunch time". San Antonio Express-News. p. 20H.