Mazzy Star | ||
| Allmusic Biography : If psychedelic music had a voice in 90s post-punk, Mazzy Star may have been its strongest reincarnation. That doesnt necessarily mean that fans of the Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead will find the band to their liking, however. Mazzy Star much preferred the dark side of psychedelia, as exemplified by the most distended tracks of the Doors and the Velvet Underground. Their fuzzy guitar workouts and plaintive, folky compositions are often suffused in a dissociative ennui that is very much of the 90s, however much their textures may recall the drug-induced states of vintage psychedelia. Although Mazzy Star was nominally a full band, they were basically the core duo of guitarist David Roback and singer Hope Sandoval with backing musicians. Roback boasts a long history in the paisley underground, with the Rain Parade and Opal. He came across Sandoval after hearing a tape she had made as part of a folky duo, Going Home. (The Going Home album that Roback subsequently produced remains unissued.) Sandoval ended up replacing Kendra Smith on Opals final tours. After Opal dissolved, Roback and Sandoval continued to work together as Mazzy Star, and released their first album for Rough Trade, She Hangs Brightly, in 1990. Rough Trades U.S. branch went under shortly afterwards, but luckily Mazzy Star were picked up by Capitol, who kept the debut in print and issued their follow-up, 1993s So Tonight That I Might See. There isnt much to differentiate the two albums, though thats not necessarily a criticism. Both share similar strengths and weaknesses: appealingly dreamy and atmospheric arrangements, rambling distorted guitar workouts, and lyrics that mix the haunting and the meaninglessly vague. Tonight That I Might See had been around for about a year before it suddenly got hot, reaching the Top 40, and spinning off a small hit single, "Fade Into You." Even in the wake of this surprise success, Roback and Sandoval remained as enigmatic and aloof as their music, rarely submitting to interviews, and offering mysterious, unhelpful replies when journalists did manage to talk with them. In 1996 they released their third album, Among My Swan, which presented a far more acoustic approach from Sandoval and Roback. They shunned the echoed, shoegaze-influenced guitars that featured heavily on much of their first two records and opted for a pared-down acoustic affair. The record also proved to be their last with major-label Capitol, and they parted ways. A year later the band went on hiatus and started work on alternative projects. Roback worked with Beth Orton on her album Central Reservation; while Sandoval appeared on the Jesus and Mary Chains 1998 record Munki and went on to create Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions with My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm OCiosoig. They returned briefly in 2000 for a mini-tour of Europe and in 2003 the duo performed together as part of Bert Janschs 60th birthday celebrations in London. A flurry of activity in the late 2000s saw their song "Into Dust" used on an advert for Virgin Media and then on a trailer for popular video game Gears of War 3, which propelled the song into the U.K. singles chart. This was shortly followed by the confirmation that Sandoval and Roback had been working on new material for a fourth album, and they released their first new material in 15 years when the double-A-sided single "Common Burn/Lay Myself Down" arrived in 2011. This was swiftly followed by a North American and European tour in 2012. The following year, details were announced for their fourth full-length record, titled Seasons of Your Day, which was released in 2013. Mazzy Star returned in 2018 with the Still EP, which included the single "Quiet, the Winter Harbour." | ||
 | Album: 1 of 7 Title: She Hangs Brightly Released: 1990 Tracks: 11 Duration: 41:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Halah (03:15) 2 Blue Flower (03:35) 3 Ride It On (03:01) 4 She Hangs Brightly (06:24) 5 I’m Sailin’ (03:13) 6 Give You My Lovin’ (03:50) 7 Be My Angel (03:17) 8 Taste of Blood (05:36) 9 Ghost Highway (03:28) 10 Free (03:11) 11 Before I Sleep (02:10) |
| She Hangs Brightly : Allmusic album Review : Mazzy Stars debut, She Hangs Brightly, picks up where Opals Happy Nightmare Baby left off; merely exchanging Kendra Smiths languorous vocals for the more sultry presence of Hope Sandoval, David Roback continues chasing the neo-psychedelic holy grail hes pursued since his days with the Rain Parade, albeit with mixed success here. After opening with a pair of standouts, the dreamy "Halah" and the garage-inspired "Blue Flower," the album quickly loses focus, and even the groups solid grasp of atmosphere and texture cant overcome the songs distinctly unmemorable melodies. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 7 Title: So Tonight That I Might See Released: 1993-09-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 51:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Fade Into You (04:53) 2 Bells Ring (04:32) 3 Mary of Silence (06:02) 4 Five String Serenade (04:24) 5 Blue Light (05:10) 6 She’s My Baby (04:25) 7 Unreflected (03:42) 8 Wasted (05:31) 9 Into Dust (05:36) 10 So Tonight That I Might See (07:19) |
| So Tonight That I Might See : Allmusic album Review : Thanks to the fluke hit "Fade Into You" -- one of the better beneficiaries of alt-rocks radio prominence in the early 90s, a gentle descent of a lead melody accompanied by piano, a steady beat, and above all else, Hope Sandovals lovely lead vocal -- Mazzy Stars second album became something of a commercial success. All without changing much at all from where the band was before -- David Roback oversaw all the production, the core emphasis remained a nexus point between country, folk, psych, and classic rock all shrouded in mystery, and Sandovals trademark drowsy drawl remained swathed in echo. But grand as She Hangs Brightly was, So Tonight That I Might See remains the groups undisputed high point, mixing in plenty of variety among its tracks without losing sight of what made the group so special to begin with. Though many songs work with full arrangements like "Fade Into You," a thick but never once overpowering combination, two heavily stripped-down songs demonstrate in different ways how Mazzy Star makes a virtue out of simplicity. "Mary of Silence" is an organ-led slow shuffle that easily ranks with the best of the Doors, strung-out and captivating all at once, Sandovals singing and Robacks careful acid soloing perfect foils. "Wasted," meanwhile, revisits a classic blues riff slowed down to near-soporific levels, but the snarling crunch of Robacks guitar works wonders against Sandovals vocals, a careful balance that holds. If theres a left-field standout, then unquestionably its "Five String Serenade." A cover of an Arthur Lee song -- for once not a Love-era number, but a then-recent effort -- Robacks delicate acoustic guitar effortlessly brings out its simple beauty. Tambourine and violin add just enough to the arrangement here and there, and Sandovals calm singing makes for the icing on the cake. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 7 Title: Among My Swan Released: 1996-10-29 Tracks: 12 Duration: 54:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Disappear (04:04) 2 Flowers in December (04:57) 3 Rhymes of an Hour (04:12) 4 Cry, Cry (03:58) 5 Take Everything (04:53) 6 Still Cold (04:48) 7 All Your Sisters (05:16) 8 Ive Been Let Down (03:17) 9 Roseblood (04:51) 10 Happy (03:58) 11 Umbilical (04:59) 12 Look on Down From the Bridge (04:47) |
| Among My Swan : Allmusic album Review : Having built up a considerable reputation thanks to So Tonight That I Might See, Mazzy Star reappeared after three years with Among My Swan, only to receive widespread indifference. Its a touch surprising -- unlike, say, fellow 1993 breakthroughs the Cranberries, David Roback and Hope Sandoval didnt rapidly descend into self-parody crossed with delusions of grandeur. Instead, they kept on keeping on, proffering the same combination of psych, blues, folk, and art-pop touches that made their earlier releases so captivating. That said, though, at base Among My Swan just isnt as quietly involving as the earlier records, that magical fusion of styles somehow coming across as a little been-there, done-that here. Theres nothing quite as immediate as "Fade Into You," nothing as awesomely delicate as "Five String Serenade," as woozy and powerful as "Mary of Silence." There are plenty of songs that try for that, though, and even if Among My Swan wont raise the dead or heal the sick, its still pleasant enough listening, and sometimes the secret of success is in the details. Keep an ear out for the soft chimes that punctuate "Happy," for instance, or how William Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chains guest guitar helps turn "Take Everything" into the slow-burning monster it is. Sandovals singing is as drowsily intoxicating as before, while Robacks ability to create atmospheres is equally fine. Among the better moments: "Rhymes of an Hour," which carefully balances a quieter arrangement with sudden moments that almost but dont quite lead to a full-band jam; the acoustic-based mood-out "All Your Sisters," suggesting such earlier guitar/violin efforts as "Into Dust"; and the soft-landing conclusion, "Look on Down from the Bridge," a bit of a church hymn in its own way, thanks to the organ-led melody. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 7 Title: Deep Cuts Released: 2009-06-16 Tracks: 4 Duration: 15:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Bells Ring (acoustic version) (04:39) 2 Im Gonna Bake My Biscuit (03:39) 3 Under My Car (03:37) 4 Hair and Skin (03:49) |
 | Album: 5 of 7 Title: Seasons of Your Day Released: 2013-09-23 Tracks: 10 Duration: 49:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 In the Kingdom (05:14) 2 California (05:23) 3 I’ve Gotta Stop (04:04) 4 Does Someone Have Your Baby Now? (04:08) 5 Common Burn (05:09) 6 Seasons of Your Day (03:41) 1 Lay Myself Down (04:31) 2 Sparrow (04:04) 3 Spoon (06:09) 4 Flying Low (07:36) |
| Seasons of Your Day : Allmusic album Review : Mazzy Stars first album since 1996s Among My Swan, 2013s Seasons of Your Day reunites guitarist David Roback and singer Hope Sandoval for a set of hazy, psychedelic songs that bring an unexpected country influence to their familiar dreamy sound. Having broken through with the dream pop anthem "Fade Into You" off 1993s So Tonight That I Might See, Mazzy Star became the poster children for a specific brand of atmospheric, melancholic pop that combined the fairy-like qualities of 60s folk, the lo-fi melodicism of the Velvet Underground, and the fuzzy guitar atmospherics of early-90s shoegaze. After further cementing their status as cult favorites with their third album, Among My Swan, Mazzy Star became displeased with the direction of their career and went on indefinite hiatus. Sandoval stayed busy performing with former My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig as Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions, and even released two solo albums with 2001s Bavarian Fruit Bread and 2009s Through the Devil Softly. However, despite the many ensuing projects between Among My Swan and now, Seasons of Your Day still sounds very much like previous Mazzy Star albums. Here we get Robacks spacy mix of acoustic and electric guitars that frame Sandovals gentle, yearning vocals. Whats new here is a world-weariness and maturity, both in style and in overall feel. Roback displays a much more pronounced country and blues influence with several cuts, including "Ive Gotta Stop," "Sparrow," and "Flying Low," built largely around his deep string bends, serpentine country-rock riffs, and liberal use of a guitar slide. The result sounds quite in tune with 70s Laurel Canyon artists like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. It also brings to mind a lo-fi, psychedelic version of the late, legendary Texas singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt. In essence, the album is everything you could want, finding Mazzy Star older and wiser, but still as dreamy as ever. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 7 Title: Still Released: 2018-06-01 Tracks: 4 Duration: 18:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Quiet, The Winter Harbor (04:15) 2 That Way Again (04:13) 3 Still (02:05) 4 So Tonight That I Might See (Ascension Version) (07:52) |
 | Album: 7 of 7 Title: Into Dust Released: 2018-08-31 Tracks: 8 Duration: 37:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Bells Ring (03:47) 2 Into Dust (05:38) 3 Halah (03:22) 4 Flowers in December (live) (05:03) 5 Bells Ring (live) (04:25) 6 Blue Flower (live) (04:16) 7 Halah (live) (03:40) 8 So Tonight That I Might See (live) (07:45) |