Product Description

This dark and dreamy psychedelic band pairs former Rain Parade and Opal guitarist Dave Roback with vocalist Hope Sandoval. Drawing primarily from the swirling, textured drone of such '60s groups as The Velvet Underground and The Doors, Mazzy Star also incorporates blues, country, and pulsing acoustic folk elements, creating a highly textured and luminous amalgam. The band's auspicious debut, SHE HANGS BRIGHTLY is a rich, atmospheric bag of tricks.
Such songs as "Halah", "Ride It On", and "Be My Angel" emphasise the duo's folk/pop origins but add layers of effect-drenched guitar and intimate, pristine production to achieve gorgeously ethereal results. The title track and "Ghost Highway" are more blues-based and recall the simmering and evocative ethic of heavy acid-rock. Sandoval's languid, earthy vocals are the perfect foil for Roback's lysergic explorations, and SHE HANGS BRIGHTLY is undoubtedly the band's finest moment.

Track Listing

1. Halah
2. Blue Flower
3. She Hangs Brightly
4. I'm Sailing
5. Give You My Lovin
6. Be My Angel
7. Taste Of Blood
8. Ghost Highway
9. Free
10. Before I Sleep

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9574 in Music
• Released on: 1993-06-07
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
After Los Angeles's "Paisley Underground" movement ground to a halt, Rain Parade founder David Roback formed Opal with Dream Syndicate's Kendra Smith, whose replacement by relative newcomer Hope Sandoval gave birth to Mazzy Star. With one foot in ethereal art-rock and the other in high, lonesome psychedelia, this debut album has all the elements of the band's haunting sound. On "Before I Sleep" and "Sailing", Sandoval's vocals sound like the last bit of molasses dripping from a large, echo-laden jug, while Roback's guitar slips easily from shimmery arpeggios to earthy slides. They even rock out on "Ghost Highway" and get downright Doors-like on the title cut. And while their cover of Slapp Happy's "Blue Flower" may, er, pale before Pale Saints' version of same, this freshman effort is worth working your way back to. --Bill Forman

Customer Reviews

Lovely
Mazzy Star's debut album is a dreamy blend of folk/pop with hints of blues and a twist of 1960s-style psychedelic rock. What really stands out, though, is Hope Sandoval's remarkable voice, by turns honeyed, strong and plaintive but always pretty damn sexy.

The most successful tracks are those with a more minimal backing to Sandoval's vocals, for example `Ride It On' and `Give You My Loving'. `I'm Sailing' shows a strong blues influence whilst `Ghost Highway' and the title track are rockier numbers. These latter songs are the albums slight weak points, the title track in particular outstays its welcome a little.

The lyrics match Sandoval's vocals beautifully - melancholy tales of absent men and unrequited love are steeped in the atmosphere of America's Deep South.

`She Hangs Brightly' is a lovely record with few faults; as mentioned the best tracks are truly exquisite. Recommended.

A stunning artist.
A friend of mine introduced me to this album recentley, I can only say that you must own this CD. The songs are beautiful and intimate, often using a mix of different guitar styles, however it is Mazzy Stars vocals which bring her unique and sometimes haunting style to this CD. Listening to she hangs brigtley reminds me of many memories personal to me which in the end I beleive is what music should be able to do. In short buy this album!

Hot dang it's a real purdy album
Sweet honey-scented words drip like treacle from the louche lips of Hope Sandoval, accompanied by slack psychedelic country-rock janglings on guitar. Downtempo but never dull, this masterpiece of alt.rock falls somewhere between folk, rock, country and psychedelia, managing to sound both melancholy and blissful at the same time. An album for smoky, hazy and lazy summer afternoons or long, dark, lonely nights.