Boces is the second album by American indie rock band Mercury Rev, released on June 1, 1993. It was their final album with original frontman David Baker, who was asked to leave shortly after the supporting tour concluded. The title is derived from the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) system of vocational schools in New York.

During a performance at Lollapalooza on the supporting tour, the band were forced off the stage for playing too loud.

Music

Boces contains music that has been characterized as "dreaming musing[s]" as well as "thrashy freakouts." Some of the material has been categorized as jazz-pop. The album's instrumentation additionally incorporates flutes, harps, brass and choir.

Reception

Heather Phares of AllMusic wrote that "With Boces, Mercury Rev took everything that made Yerself Is Steam such an impressive debut and made their second album even more so...Mercury Rev never released another album as joyfully, unselfconsciously creative as Boces; after chief weirdo David Baker departed, the band pursued other fascinating directions, but this album remains one of the highest points of its career."

Track listing

Personnel

1. Mercury Rev

2. Jimy Chambers – Drumming, AtlasSweepstakes

3. Jonathan Donahue – Silver Pickup Guitar, Vocals between Ventolin hits

4. Grasshopper – Dither Guitar, Licorice Stick

5. Suzanne Thorpe – Rooster Tail Bass Flute, Chevron Fife

6. Dave Fridmann – Bass Explore, Exhaled band-with Magnetics

7. David Baker – Vocals

8. Additional musicians

9. Julie Baker – violin

10. C. Gavazzi – French horn

11. Jim Burgess – trombone

References