Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions - Through The Devil Softly
By Nick Manteris · 2 Comments · Leave a Comment
Hope Sandoval is not an immediately recognizable name, but her previous band, Mazzy Star, is a bit more familiar because of the song “Fade Into You.” And, if, through some miracle of fate, you somehow managed to avoid hearing that song, then maybe you at least caught Anthony Kiedis’ reference to the “star of Mazzy” in “Aeroplane" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sandoval is rumored to be a shy, private person and the surge of popularity that resulted from that song may have had something to do with her decision to distance herself from the public. It’s been over twelve years since the last Mazzy Star album and more than eight since she decided to release Bavarian Fruit Bread, the first – and, until now, only – Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions album. The sparse folk of her solo albums is soft and mellow, more like Sandoval’s voice, and the psychedelic guitars and shoegaze droning that used to complement her during the Mazzy Star years are nowhere to be found.
“Blanchard” immediately sets the bar higher than the previous album, but then three of the next four songs are average and “For The Rest Of Your Life” fails to make the cut. “Thinking Like That” and “Trouble” are on the same level as the opening track, but they have the subpar “There’s A Willow” sandwiched between them. Then there are a couple more average songs before the skippable “Satellite” ends the record.
- Score
- 64%
Through The Devil Softly is significantly better than Bavarian Fruit Bread, but Sandoval’s solo work still hasn’t reached the heights that she attained during her stint with Mazzy Star. Her new stuff isn’t bad...it’s just not as good, but, even after more than a decade – and since they haven’t “officially” broken up – there’s a chance we could still hear some stuff from that previous band. Until then, though, there are a few songs on this album that might sustain the hardcore fans through this difficult period.
Hope is amazing....Mazzy Star or not!
Lol, I thought I was bisexual because of this woman! This article is rather scathing & I disagree with most of it, although, I respect the writer's opinion...everyone's got one. I am still a fan & will always be.
Fri, 03/05/2010 - 08:17 · Mary