Plain
MAZZY STAR - Among My Swan LP
$41.95
180 gram vinyl.
Many overlook or even dismiss as the ugly duckling Mazzy Star’s third full-length installment, AMONG MY SWAN. Perhaps this is because the band’s cat was long out of the bag by the time this recording was released in 1996. Or maybe people had already jumped into the next new sound by then. That’s too bad, because AMONG MY SWAN, whether considered on its own merits or scrutinized right alongside its two predecessors, deserves more than shelf space in a dusty bargain bin. Hope Sandoval’s signature vocal seductions? Check. David Roback’s indelible, aching guitar scrapes? Yep. Carefully crafted songwriting and wide-eyed, wistful lyrics? Present. Here though, the group mellows even further its magical sonic tapestry, so much so, in fact, that songs like “Still Cold” and “All Your Sisters” chill to the bone. And “Flowers in December” and “I’ve Been Let Down” conjure up some long lost deserted saloon under a faraway big Western sky. The only thing missing is an adoring audience. Small wonder Mazzy’s beautiful swan flew away.
Many overlook or even dismiss as the ugly duckling Mazzy Star’s third full-length installment, AMONG MY SWAN. Perhaps this is because the band’s cat was long out of the bag by the time this recording was released in 1996. Or maybe people had already jumped into the next new sound by then. That’s too bad, because AMONG MY SWAN, whether considered on its own merits or scrutinized right alongside its two predecessors, deserves more than shelf space in a dusty bargain bin. Hope Sandoval’s signature vocal seductions? Check. David Roback’s indelible, aching guitar scrapes? Yep. Carefully crafted songwriting and wide-eyed, wistful lyrics? Present. Here though, the group mellows even further its magical sonic tapestry, so much so, in fact, that songs like “Still Cold” and “All Your Sisters” chill to the bone. And “Flowers in December” and “I’ve Been Let Down” conjure up some long lost deserted saloon under a faraway big Western sky. The only thing missing is an adoring audience. Small wonder Mazzy’s beautiful swan flew away.
