Mazzy Star So Tonight That I Might See CD

Live Recording

Mazzy Star includes: Hope Sandoval (vocals); David Roback (guitar); Keith Mitchell, William Cooper, Jason Yates.
Thanks to the fluke hit "Fade Into You" -- one of the better beneficiaries of alt-rock's radio prominence in the early '90s, a gentle descent of a lead melody accompanied by piano, a steady beat, and above all else, Hope Sandoval's lovely lead vocal -- Mazzy Star's second album became something of a commercial success. All without changing much at all from where the band was before -- David Roback oversaw all the production, the core emphasis remained a nexus point between country, folk, psych, and classic rock all shrouded in mystery, and Sandoval's trademark drowsy drawl remained swathed in echo. But grand as She Hangs Brightly was, So Tonight That I Might See remains the group's undisputed high point, mixing in plenty of variety among its tracks without losing sight of what made the group so special to begin with. Though many songs work with full arrangements like "Fade Into You," a thick but never once overpowering combination, two heavily stripped-down songs demonstrate in different ways how Mazzy Star makes a virtue out of simplicity. "Mary of Silence" is an organ-led slow shuffle that easily ranks with the best of the Doors, strung-out and captivating all at once, Sandoval's singing and Roback's careful acid soloing perfect foils. "Wasted," meanwhile, revisits a classic blues riff slowed down to near-soporific levels, but the snarling crunch of Roback's guitar works wonders against Sandoval's vocals, a careful balance that holds. If there's a left-field standout, then unquestionably it's "Five String Serenade." A cover of an Arthur Lee song -- for once not a Love-era number, but a then-recent effort -- Roback's delicate acoustic guitar effortlessly brings out its simple beauty. Tambourine and violin add just enough to the arrangement here and there, and Sandoval's calm singing makes for the icing on the cake. ~ Ned Raggett
Combining the considerable talents of guitarist Dave Roback (Opal, Rain Parade) and Hope Sandoval's sultry, heavy-lidded vocals, Mazzy Star fuses blues, country, and pulsing acoustic folk in a dark psychedelic mix that recalls the Velvet Underground and The Doors. The group's highly textured, atmospheric sound emerged glittering and fully formed on the debut SHE HANGS BRIGHTLY, surprising listeners of "underground" music with its moody yet accessible mix.
SO TONIGHT THAT I MIGHT SEE sticks close to the ground staked out by its predecessor, though with no less success. "Wasted" moves insistently down the twelve-bar road to nuanced, snarling guitar embellishments. "Blue Light" is smoky, blue-eyed (if black-hearted) soul. Of particular note is the cover of Arthur Lee's "Five String Serenade," graced with lilting cello and tambourine accompaniment. Roback's electric/lysergic guitar explorations and Sandoval's blusey, lazily erotic sigh weave a deeply evocative spell, making SO TONIGHT a perfect 2:00AM album.

Alternative Press (11/93, p.77) - "...Most of the time you get what you'd expect: music that's part trippy and part blues..."
Magnet (p.68) - "The anti-social Roback and Sandoval may have sounded like they wanted to disappear, but the ghostly echo they created still haunts."
Musician (12/93, p.88) - "...there's roundabout satisfaction in hearing this moody duo firmly toe acoustic folk and dirty blues bases without losing their crucial abstraction...."
NME (Magazine) (12/25/93, p.67) - Ranked #44 in New Musical Express' list of `The Top 50 LPs Of 1993' - "...Inspired doomfolk caught in the slipstream of psychedelia, with Hope Sandoval creeping around the edge of confessions too creepy to confront...."
NME (Magazine) (10/2/93, p.33) - 8 - Excellent - "...an even more lustrous, becalmed work than its acclaimed sibbling...."