Mazzy Star

Among My Swan (Capitol)
by Chris Adams

Born from the ashes of Rain Parade and Opal, Mazzy Star have established themselves as one of the most distinct American groups of the ’90s, and Among My Swan finds them happy to stick with their tried-and-true formula, which is fine by me. “Disappear,” the album’s opener, is a fair enough indication of what you can expect: Hope Sandoval’s sleepy, sexy vocals lounging disconsolately on a bed of notes that drip like deep blue crystal rain off Dave Roback’s guitar.

These bittersweet songs ache with desire and sadness; they sound like they’re intended to gently lilt the listener quietly into a broken heart. As with the previous two Mazzy Star LPs, there’s more than a passing nod to the Velvet Underground’s third album, which I have no problem with – if you’re gonna rip somebody off, rip off the best. There’re a few moments where Roback takes brief excursions to his psychedelic past (aided at one point by William Reid, the Mary Chain’s guitar genius and, coincidentally enough, Sandoval’s boyfriend), but, for the most part, he’s happy to linger around creating wistfully forlorn atmospheres. Again, not a great departure for Mazzy Star – but then, that’s why we love them.