If you’re from my generation, you could probably be forgiven for not being too familiar with Mazzy Star. As you were probably about six, so unless you were very serious/withdrawn as a child, their blend of narcotic, minimalist blues would understandably have gone straight over your head. After a lofty seventeen-year-hiatus, their most commercially successful track ‘Fade into You’ will no doubt still ring many a bell. The 1990’s saw three very solid LP’s from the Santa Monica pair, and one can’t help but wonder what is it that’s driven the duo to record this album, it must be something pretty special.
Vocalist Hope Sandovol and guitarist David Rodback neatly carved out a unique sound those many years ago. They were special, and didn’t seem to conform or compromise with the times. 17 years since their last LP, they are back with Seasons Of Your Day. A couple of seconds into the album and it is crystal clear that surrealist, dream-pop isn’t going anywhere.
If you’re looking for some modern contemporaries think the vocals of Lana Del Rey, the emotion or Beach House or the stripped back wholeness of PJ Harvey. The record begins with ‘In The Kingdom’ a soft, delicate and extremely flowery opener. ‘California’ ekes of sadness, ‘I think I’m going back’ it swoons, in a defeatist, bittersweet tone.
There are moments where the record takes us to a very chilled, country and western infused space, (‘I’ve Gotta Stop’, ‘Does Someone Have Your Baby Now?’). A standout track would have to be ‘Common Burn’, which manages to sum up the full kaleidoscope of human emotion when it comes to love in a mere 5.10 minutes.
Seasons of Your Day is a delicious slice of bluesy Americana. Mazzy Star’s agenda was clearly not to run with the times and show us that they are Back and ‘Better Than Ever. They are back, sure, but in the same amazingly brilliant way that they first arrived.
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