Vice and Daring showcases Boulevard in resplendent form. Yeah, that's a fancy word, and one full of shiny imagery and projection, but it is perhaps the best possible for this record. The sheen of the production values contained are as professional as any local record has ever been. Still, Athens' Boulevard succeeds where many bands fail by actually having great songs to display via such methods, rather than attempting to polish a turd.

For all practical purposes, Boulevard is a band of unabashed anglophiles. They're beholden artistically to the musical lineage of David Bowie and Roxy Music, yet nothing about the music sounds as if they're merely lifting licks and postures. "So Electric" carries itself by way of flange-driven guitars and an infectious chorus reminiscent of The Undertones. "Marie" sounds very much like what could be an old outtake from a Suede album if that band actually had some balls rather than just a make-up kit. "Dreams of Home" is slightly darker with its synthesized intro and spaghetti-western-on-lithium guitar interlude. It's a perfect track for a late-night drive.

The band reaches deep into the pop continuum on "Disarray" which features a great choppy guitar (a technique that hasn't been used in a good way since the heyday of the Elephant 6) and a chorus worthy of any number of 1970s teen idol bands (Bay City Rollers, Partridge Family, etc.).

Vice and Daring is an ambitious release from a band that has never been short on ambition. It's proof that these guys have known all along exactly what they were doing.
Gordon Lamb - Flagpole Magazine, Athens, Georgia

"Proving that innovation doesn't have to be boring or soulless, Boulevard is a fine example of a band succeeding on pure guts and audacity."
Performer Magazine

"Boulevard are content but pushing themselves and their boundaries on each track, nailing "Dreams of Home" and a sweeping "Hand in Hand" that bring to mind classic, majestic Suede numbers or current efforts from the Tears."
Allmusic.com (AMG)

"Simply put, Boulevard doesn't sound like a band that just released its first EP in 2004, and Vice and Daring doesn't sound like a sophomore effort. Boulevard consistently reminds listeners that rock music should be fun, kinetic and larger than life."
Southeast Performer Magazine

"The band's standout tracks include "Marie" and "Dreams of Home." The strength of these tracks is in their melodies, skilled playing and contagious effervescence."
Technique

Produced and engineered by Nathan Rudolf in Athens, GA. Mastering by Jeff Capurso at Chase Park Transduction. Musicians: Benji Barton (voice, guitar); Donovan Babb (drums); Robert Caruthers (guitars, vocal); Stephen James (synths, samples, bells); Holden Spaht (bass). Guest musicians: The Magnolia String Quartet on track 3 (Qiao Chen Solomon - violin, Kelly Solms - violin, Marta Blalock - viola, Bo Yum - cello).

1. So Electric
2. Marie
3. Dreams of Home
4. Disarray
5. Possibly the Last
6. Hand in Hand
7. Only For You
8. Urgency
9. The Lines Between Us
10. Street Starlet

Listen to: the entire album.

Release date: 2/21/2013
Boulevard lives in Georgia USA

Tagged as: Alt Rock, Pop

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