Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (album)

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]

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Studio album by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Released	June 8, 2010
Studio	Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles)
Genre	Roots rock, hard rock, rock and roll
Length	51:09
Label	Hollywood
Producer	Mark Batson
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals chronology
Live in Skowhegan (2008) Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (2010) Live from the Legendary Sun Studio (2012)

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

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
American Music Channel	[7]
Rolling Stone	[8]
New York Post	[9]
Boston Herald	[10]

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.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Paris (Ooh La La)"	Potter	3:15
2.	"Oasis"		4:41
3.	"Medicine"	Potter, Matt Burr, Scott Tournet	4:06
4.	"Goodbye Kiss"	Potter	3:33
5.	"Tiny Light"		4:43
6.	"Colors"	Potter	5:15
7.	"Only Love"		3:22
8.	"Money"	Potter, David Poe	2:54
9.	"One Short Night"	Potter	3:50
10.	"Low Road"		4:39
11.	"That Phone"		3:18
12.	"Hot Summer Night"		3:22
13.	"Things I Never Needed"	Potter	4:11

iTunes bonus track

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
14.	"Fooling Myself"	Potter	5:25

• 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, guitar (tracks 1 and 9), piano (tracks 6, 8 and 13), Hammond organ (tracks 2-12)
• Scott Tournet – guitar, lap steel guitar (tracks 4, 8-9 and 13), loops (track 3), harmonica (track 4), vocals (track 3)
• Benny Yurco – 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 – ProTools engineer
• Andrew Scheps – mixing
• Brian Gardner – mastering

Artwork

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

Charts

Chart	Peak position
U.S. Billboard 200[15]	19
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums[15]	3

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. 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. 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.CS1 maint: others (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.