Mazzy Star
So Tonight That I Might See

Mini-review of one of the most important albums in my musical growth. [Gosh, I feel like Frusciante!]

Although the Italian Wikipedia defines this album as little changed from the previous one, "She Hangs Brightly" of '90, I actually find that maturity and creativity are much greater in "So Tonight That I Might See", released three years later.

"Fade Into You", which starts the ball rolling, is one of those ballads you can always count on: magical, suspended in another dimension, a quasi-waltz at slow speed, few notes, precise, stretched through the slide effect, evoking California, childhood, and scenes of melancholic American summer.

We must consider that the LP is released in a period when grunge dominates the market, and thus a time when most young people identify with the anger communicated by artists like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Melvins, Tad, etc. In the United Kingdom, however, a new genre is emerging: trip hop, from Bristol. U2 and Depeche Mode are living on tails, embracing electronics - especially the former - dividing their fandoms. While U2 marry electronics with their pop-rock roots, the group of Gahan and Lee Gore adds more electric guitar parts. Meanwhile, a new trend, purely British, is on the horizon, which will fittingly be called "britpop", with Suede, Oasis, and Pulp. Again, it's about adolescent anger and discontent.

As noble as all these branches are, I believe the contribution of Mazzy Star to the music of the time is more substantial, original and magical: no anger, or rather, anger suffocated by sweetness and abandonment. Sandoval's voice is something relaxing and thrilling at the same time - seductive and menacing. The late David Roback, who, together with Hope, formed the compositional core of Mazzy Star (all songs were penned by the duo), weaves mesmeric guitar patterns, and also excels at the keyboards. A little more than a couple of session musicians (bass, drums, and strings) are enough for building the songs that make up the tracklist - each a demonstration of great synthesis ability, without lacking depth.

Listening to "So Tonight That I Might See", for me, is like taking a dive into the past of the early '90s, even though I didn't live it, and reaching another dimension. The most beautiful track on the album? "Mary of Silence", the third track, reminiscent of the doorsian "The End".

Rating: 9.5/10