*** ACETONE

(Vapor)

Acetone dissolve the metallic nail polish that usually encrusts LA's glam machine, preferring instead the muddy ditch of slowcore bluegrass-inflected rock. Every note on their latest CD, from Richie Lee's slack-tuned bass to Mark Lightcap's gorgeous, twangy guitar chords, is drenched with reverb and tremolo so thick you can cut it with a knife. Breathtaking vocal harmonies, ever-so-slightly out of tune, maintain a mournful tack alongside Steve Hadley's disciplined, crystal-clear drumming. The trio take their cues from the Velvet Underground's moodier side, but also from early Pink Floyd (the chorus of "All the Time" runs "And I wish you were here/I'm not waiting but I wish you were"). The result is disorienting and spacy but not overly psychedelic. More like post-psychedelic -- groove-drone love songs for late-night zone-out sessions.

-- Chris Tweney