The Sunlight Hit My Face

Mazzy Star “In the Kingdom”

Mazzy Star went away for about 16 years, and now they’re back and they’ve picked up exactly where they left off. They sound like they always did, but they don’t sound even slightly dated. This is partly because their gorgeous, drowsy, sexy music feels like it exists slightly outside of time and fashion. But on the other hand, fashion caught up with them – all of their music, from the early ’90s on through the songs on the new Seasons of Your Day, sound very fresh and in line with stoned, atmospheric indie of the past half decade. “In the Kingdom,” the opening track from Seasons, bridges the gap between the band’s past and our present – it’s anchored by an organ part that brings to mind the gauzy sound of Beach House, but despite that, it’s pure Mazzy Star: Hope Sandoval’s voice is soft and sultry, and David Roback plays robust, rounded melodies on his guitar. Whereas Beach House has a cold, brittle sound, Mazzy Star can’t help themselves but to invest every moment of their music with a warm, gentle humanity.

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