Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (album)

2010 studio album by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals is the third studio album by American rock band Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, released on June 8, 2010. The album is the band's first release since the inclusion of two new members, rhythm guitarist Benny Yurco and bassist Catherine Popper.^[1] The album was originally titled "Medicine" after the third track on the album, and was promoted as such in numerous interviews and early reviews,^[2][3] but was changed shortly after the replacement of producer T Bone Burnett in favor of Mark Batson.^[4][5]

The album debuted at #19 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums for the week ending June 13, 2010.

Critical reception

The album was released to generally favorable reviews, scoring a 63 on Metacritic.^[11] Billboard magazine gave the album a positive review, stating that "Grace Potter & the Nocturnals' new self-titled release finds frontwoman Potter and her band in full bloom, hammering out hook-heavy rock tracks with a confident, natural sound."^[12] Giving the album three out of five stars, Rolling Stone magazine comments, "Potter's youthfulness can make for flower-soup lyrics but backlit by a no-nonsense band that massages Memphis grooves, light rock and pinot-noir reggae, it all bursts with promise."^[8] The Guardian enjoyed the band's harder rocking songs while criticizing some of the slower ones. The Guardian remarks that "[g]enerally, the bluesy, Southernised rockers (Medicine, Only Love) make more of an impression than the power balladry (Colors), while an anomalous wallow in country-rock sentimentality (Things I Never Needed) feels like it was tacked on because they realised they needed a slow one."^[13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Grace Potter and Mark Batson, except where noted

• The songs "Paris (Ooh La La)" and "That Phone" were used in the CW show Hart of Dixie (2011).
• "Paris (Ooh La La)" and "Hot Summer Night" were used in an episode of the MTV series Awkward (2011).
• "Paris (Ooh La La)" was used in a Rizzoli & Isles commercial.

Personnel

Adapted credits from the booklet.^[14]

The Nocturnals

• Grace Potter – lead vocals, electric guitar (track 1), acoustic guitar (track 9), piano (tracks 6, 8 and 13), Hammond organ (tracks 2–12)
• Scott Tournet – lead guitar (tracks 1–3, 5–7, 10–12), backwards guitar (track 5), lap steel guitar (tracks 4, 8-9 and 13), loops (track 3), harmonica (track 4), vocals (track 3)
• Benny Yurco – rhythm guitar
• Catherine Popper – bass guitar
• Matt Burr – drums, percussion (track 3)

Additional musicians

• Mark Batson – piano (tracks 5 and 11), drum machine (track 8), hand claps (track 12), string arrangement (track 6)
• Janna Jacoby – violin (track 6)
• Kathleen Robertson – violin (track 6)
• Thomas Tally – viola (track 6)
• Peggy Baldwin – cello (track 6)

Production

• Aaron Fessel – engineer, mixing (tracks 2 and 7)
• Brian Warwick – assistant engineer
• Bobby Campbell – assistant mixer
• Michael Parnin – Pro Tools engineer
• Andrew Scheps – mixing
• Brian Gardner – mastering

Artwork

• GraphicTherapy – art direction and design
• Adrien Broom – photography

Charts

References

1. "Brent's Notebook: More togetherness from Grace Potter". Burlington Free Press. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2010.
2. "An Interview with Grace Potter at Bonnaroo 2009". Weekly Dave Speak. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
3. "Grace Potter New Album Info". Brooklyn Vegan. Archived from the original on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
4. "T Bone Burnett Out Mark Batson In". Weekly Dave Speak. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
5. "Evolution Of Grace Potter and The Nocturnals debut". Avexa. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
6. Jurek, Thom. "Review: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals". AllMusic. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
7. Ramey, Emily. "Grace Potter & The Nocturnals". American Music Channel. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
8. Dolan, Jon. "Review: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 5, 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2010.
9. Aquilante, Dan (June 10, 2010). "Review: Vermont group reaches peak". New York Post. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
10. Gottlieb, Jed. "Review: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals". Boston Herald. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
11. "Grace Potter & the Nocturnals". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 19, 2012.
12. Skripnikov, Ilya (June 25, 2010). "Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, "Grace Potter & the Nocturnals"". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
13. Sullivan, Caroline (June 29, 2010). "Grace Potter & the Nocturnals: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals". The Guardian. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
14. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (booklet). Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Hollywood. 2010. D000283202.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
15. V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra, S. T. Erlewine, eds, All Music Guide to the Blues: The Definitive Guide to the Blues (Backbeat, 3rd edn., 2003), ISBN 0-87930-736-6, pp. 700–2.