Mazzy Star is finally back for all you heavy daydreamers. Their Still EP was released today on Rhymes of an Hour records, their first since 2014’s I’m Less Here EP, which was a follow-up to their 2013 reunion album Seasons of Your Day. The four-track effort picks up right where the Paisley Underground band left off, as they always seem to effortlessly do.
Best known for their fuzzy slide and pedal steel guitars, droned out melodies, and Hope Sandoval’s unearthly, airy vocals against romanticist lyrics; the nearly 30-year-old Los Angeles band who made a namesake for themselves in the ‘90s remains grounded in their staple blissed-out, ennui sound. And we love them for that, because I can’t think of a band who can make dissociation sound so necessary.
I thank Sandoval’s soft angelic voice for that, and guitarist David Roback’s magical way of injecting fuzz and psychedelic harmonics in all the right places. Roback manages to rework the way a slide guitar should be played, by making it melt into elements of psych, post-punk and shoegaze.
The first track, “Quiet, The Winter Harbor” was released as a single back in April. It starts with a gentle piano before Sandoval’s voice takes hold of the tune then slowly, Roback’s skillful strumming ties the tune together. “That Way Again” and “Still” follow seamlessly into one another before hitting the last and final track, a reimagination of 1993’s “So That I Might See” – ascension version. The trippy track feels like the soundtrack to a desolate desert scene as Sandoval speaks poetically from what sounds like a distant voice in the sky.
“That Way Again” has been performed live by Mazzy Star for several years, and now fans finally have a tangible recording that they can add to their collection. The band doesn’t evolve much with their sound, simply because they don’t need to. Their album is not just one you casually throw on for background music, it’s an entire mood and state-of-mind.
While no tour dates or mention of any other album releases have been sparked, Mazzy Star will perform next month in Sydney, Australia for three shows as a part of VIVID Sydney Festival. Hopefully these performances will give us more of an idea if they have any other new material in the works.
You can stream Still everywhere, but if you’re a real one like me, you’ll order the 12”.
