Seasons Of Your Day

It’s been seventeen years between drinks since 1996’s Among My Swan, in which time the two mainstays of Mazzy Star, guitarist/producer David Roback and vocalist Hope Sandoval, have pursued various projects.

Upon hearing the opening track of Seasons Of Your Day, “In The Kingdom”, that time between releases simply ceases to exist. This picks up where their last recorded material left off.

What makes Mazzy Star special and unique, apart from the beautifully sparse production that lets the music breathe, is Hope Sandoval. Sure, there are technically more perfect voices out there, but hers has this quality that can utterly pierce the heart of the listener and, at times, move them to tears.

For the most part on Seasons Of Your Day, gone is the over-reliance on studio effects such as reverb and echo that have previously personified the sound of the band. There is also a strong use of acoustic guitars, really lending themselves well to the blues and country influences that flow through the music.

Also, Sandoval’s vocal delivery and phrasing seem more clear and defined, leaning on her work as part of The Warm Inventions during Mazzy Star’s hiatus.

Track highlights include the incredibly striking title track, “I’ve Gotta Stop”, with Roback’s stunning take on slide guitar at its finest, and what is possibly the standout on the entire album, the sublime and fragile “Sparrow”.

It’s been a long time coming, but Seasons Of Your Day has been more than worth it. In a musical world dominated by the corporate, money making factor, it’s incredibly heartening to find those that move at their own unique pace.

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