York Blvd.

York Blvd. was Acetone's final release before singer Richie Lee's suicide. Their fifth studio album remains a favorite among fans as it contrasts higher production values with a return to the bare-bones, song-architecture of their 1993 debut Cindy. The opening "Things Are Gonna Be Alright" is a slow-burner that sets the tone with Mark Lightcap's lazy licks flickering like a flame under Lee's tastefully simplistic bass lines while drummer Steve Hadley's brushes on the snare and cymbals provide texture and shimmering resonance. The catchy and cool "Wonderful World" was the closest thing that Acetone had to a radio hit with its up-tempo chorus and hushed harmonies that make way for Lightcap approximating a Crazy Horse crunch on his guitar solo. Up until this album the Los Angeles trio had garnered many comparisons to Low (because of their nod-out tempos) and Spiritualized (for their ability to turn Velvet Underground- inspired tones into panoramic drones), but the twangy "Like I Told You" found Acetone's former flirtations with California country rock on 1995's I Guess I Would manifesting into their own original sound.