Mazzy Star: Seasons of Your Day
Mazzy Star
Seasons of Your Day
(Rhymes of an Hour)
Mazzy Star hypnotizes on their latest album, Seasons of Your Day. The familiar smoky, rich yet sedated and hazed-out vocals Hope Sandoval is known for are so opaque alongside deliriously harmonious peaks of slide guitar, harmonicas, organs, and a bluesy folk, stripped-down style with drums and bass, especially on the track “Flying Low.†Much of the new album feels shrouded in an emotive mystique with enchanting slow- to mid-tempo hypnotics.
Mazzy Star’s biggest commercial hit, “Fade Into You,†was released on their second album in 1993, entitled So Tonight That I Might See. After their 17-year break, their formula still works. The lullaby of “Sparrow†is decorated with tambourine and sleepy guitar riffs. “California†is a bit more daunting and dark. Echoing slashes of moody guitar chords surround Sandoval’s longing desire for a place or feeling of the past as her emotions shimmer with the brightness of a single flame in a dark room while “Lay Myself Down†moves with a more yesteryear country and western charm. The swing of rhythm is lighter and the chord melodies are brighter. Seasons of Your Day remains an ode to what has made Mazzy Star the acclaimed group that they are, Hope Sandoval and David Roback showcasing simplistically endearing acoustic musings that continue to delight and mystify.