Boulevard : Vice and Daring (vocals removed).Up-beat rock and new wave for the 21st century. This is a version of Vice and Daring with the vocals removed by software (Demucs). Tracks that had no singing are unchanged. Led by songwriter Benji Barton, these "Athens guitar-pop darlings" deliver a stylish performance of rock, new wave and romantic appeal. With songs of despair and bliss set to a disco beat, Boulevard continues to catch the attention of audiences and journalists everywhere. 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.
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
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). Songs:
1. So Electric (vocals removed) Buy this album for $8: 100% goes to the musician. Download it as MP3, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, OGG or WAV. Using this music in a project? Members can use it under the Magnatune Project Licence. For programs and AI agents: this album as JSON, the Magnatune API and llms.txt.
Release date: 10/20/2026 Tagged as: Alt Rock, Pop, Instrumental, Vocals Removed Recommended albums:
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