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• Yes  (worth reading)
• Maybe  (if you have the time)
• Maybe not   (if you have too much time)

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"Mazzy Star create big, spaced-out tracks that aren't
so much songs as they are beautiful, moving sonic paintings that perfectly replicate the trippy, THC-laced smoky-blues style
of mellowed-out late '60s acid rock"

Oct 24, 1996
The Scene Magazine
Mazzy Star: Among My Swan

When a band releases an album that shows them at the top of their game and firing on all creative cylinders (as Mazzy Star did in 1993 with So Tonight That I Might See), it's only realistic to low-ball your expectations where the follow-up effort is concerned. Yet once in a great while, lightning can strike twice in the same spot and the follow-up can match or even outshine its predecessor. Among My Swan is one of those rare, magnificent albums that accomplishes that feat. Basically the studio moniker of vocalist Hope Sandoval and guitarist David Roback (with a revolving cast of studio players), Mazzy Star create big, spaced-out tracks that aren't so much songs as they are beautiful, moving sonic paintings that perfectly replicate the trippy, THC-laced smoky-blues style of mellowed-out late '60s acid rock (particularly the Velvet Underground and the Doors).

Three years haven't changed Mazzy Star's aproach to music in the least -- gloriously minimalist production values, Sandoval's instantly recognizable laconic singing style and laid-back to the brink of soporific arrangements are still the order of the day.

"Disappear" literally sounds like a Hawaiian Beach sunset with its oceanic guitar fuzz breaking into gently rhythmic waves of rippling blues licks and soft tambourines. The harmonica-driven single "Flowers In December" may not be "Fade Into You '96" as far as hooks go, but it should sound wonderful juxtaposed against all of the power-pop wallpaper currently choking the airwaves (assuming, that is, that radio will still care -- what with such short memory spans we're assumed to have these days). Elsewhere, it's all stunningly crafted material that either lulls you into a cozy reverie ("Rhymes Of An Hour" and "Cry Cry") or startles you with unexpected dynamics ("Still Cold" and "Take Everything"). There's even a cool stoner country hoe-down called "I've Been Let Down" just for good measure.

The real high points on Among My Swan, though, are the real trance-inducing, bong-fired lullabies like "All Your Sisters" and "Umbilical." The former is essentially a reworking of "Into Dust" (a riveting highlight from So Tonight) -- a gorgeous, delicate track so full of space and atmosphere that it's almost not there at all. "Umbilical" has much more in common with epics like Pink Floyd's "Careful With That Axe Eugene" or "The End" by the Doors -- that is, loads of very blissed-out feedback, softly spoken-word lyrics and that eerie combo of Manzarek-esque organs and keening slide guitars that manage to evoke all of the surreal, disoriented wanderings of an acid trip (minus the freakouts).

You could argue that Mazzy Star have played it safe with Among My Swan and have gone creatively nowhere in the last three years (and you may have a point if this album weren't as great as it is). In their defense, it's difficult to imagine just where Sandoval and Roback could take their sound without compromising any of its fragile splendor -- this isn't the kind of music suited to a jungle break beat or a Teddy Riley remix. As for right now, Mazzy Star don't have to worry about it -- they have yet to wear out their welcome.  -- Victor Cooke

If you're in love... or just wish you were, pick up a Mazzy Star album, particularly the most recent"Among My Swan." Guitarist Roback and singer Sandoval have once again put out a stirring collection of hypnotic vocals and mesmerizing arrangements.

Just like that wonderful state of early infatuation, the songs drift tantalizingly out of reach, pregnant with mysterious meaning & sensual promise . If you can remember what it feels like to meditate for hours upon the smile of your romantic obsession, the excitement tinged with doubt, the urgency of anticipated passion... well, there you have it: music to swoon by.

I don't know how any of this plays on stage, but it should be nice to find out. Bring someone you like with you.

In the Clubs: Mazzy Star, with Sparklehorse. 8 p.m. Sunday. The Supper Club. 240 W. 47th St., Manhattan. $ 15. (212) 249-8870.
[©1996 Bergen Record Corp]

Just like darkness on the desert, So Tonight That I Might See will surely prove a thing of lasting beauty. Three years between albums has produced a lonely cactus blossom of dusty vocals, petaled with the sparse melancholy of guitar and cello. Less bluesy than She Hangs Brightly, this self- produced second effort weaves rich chord progressions into a sorrow so pure it is without angst. The journey into Mazzy Star's preternatural night is a solitary one.   -- Kristin Spence

retroactive baggage
Mazzy Star: Among My Swan

I'm having the same problem with this album as I had with it's predecessor 'So Tonight That I Might See'. I just can't seem to focus on it. A couple of songs in and it seems to just disapear into a dark shade of blue. Hope Sandaval's beautiful voice just becomes an echo in the background as a particular sound triggers off a long train of thought. I then only return to the record only as the needle bumps at the end of the side.

I think this is a recomendation. I've reached parts of my mind not usually found on your average dreary Monday at ten o'clock. I feel a bit guilty about it though. It's as if I'm not doing my job right. Like I'm not paying them enough due or something. When I remember to concentrate I really love the record. I could listen to these gentle melodies and Hope's voice all my life but I still find I've only really listened to one or two tracks when it's finished.

Should it stick out more? Is a record a bad one if you find yourself thinking about last Saturday when she looked at you like that rather than the music? I don't know really. I know that if all my records were like this I would have trouble getting around to doing anything. I know that this will disapear into my record collection at some point in the next few weeks only to emerge again every couple of months when I will fall in love with it all over again. I guess I know that this is a recomendation and I guess I know that Mazzy Star have done it again. -- Ben.
[retroactive baggage - Issue #15 Nov 2, 96 - online]

Audio Exotica
Mazzy Star: Among My Swan

If I was any more of a man, I would plead for Hope Sandoval's hand in marriage. Her voice is transcendent, her manner graceful beyond compare, and her natural beauty is so potent, it stings the unshielded eye. The rumor mill being what it is, I suppose she's heard about similar proposals I've made to Sarah McLachlan and October Project's Mary Fahl, so I could pretty much forget that harebrained scheme. However, I'm sure that Hope doesn't mind if I quietly enjoy the music she makes with David Roback, which I do -- now more than ever. Among My Swan is drop-dead gorgeous -- from the sexy sway of "Disappear" to the radio-ready pop of "Cry, Cry." "Flowers In December" is perhaps the warmest song the band has recorded, with soft beds of viola and harmonica underscoring Roback's syncopated strumming and Hope's shining vocal. Perhaps it's better that she never hears my pleas for matrimony; I would much rather claim her as a muse. --Geoff Carter [Audio Exotica - online]

"On 'Umbilical' Roback's...guitar sounds like shooting stars falling into an intoxicating whirlpool of hazy feedback and organ washes."

(Atlanta newspaper) - Nov. 30, 1996
Creative Loafing
Ugly Ducklings: Mazzy Star's beautiful Swan
by Howard Petruziello

A distorted chord ushers in a dense choir of psychedelic, bluesy guitar, dancing bells, rolling bass and a loping rhythm before a gently longing voice breaks through like sun shattering a thick morning fog. Sounds like Mazzy Star! The song is "Disappear" and it sets the stage for Among My Swan, the third release from this mysterious, misunderstood band.

From his days with the Rain Parade through the proto Mazzy Star band, Opal, David Roback has displayed more than his share of genius. His playing, while far from inventive, is as intriguing as his profile is low-key, and as he's done since those seminal days, he delicately strums along, adding healthy heaps of Velvet Underground-influenced leads, alternatingly sweet and numbing feedback-laden walls and soothing slide to the blend. Hope Sandoval's dreamy, solitary, but far-from-frail voice sounds more confident than ever as she delivers her best lyrical and vocal performances to date.

Much of Among My Swan comes from the same droning, neo-psychedelic well the band has drawn on for each record. On "Umbilical" (which could also be titled "Inaudible"), Sandoval's indecipherable whisper drowns in an ocean of reverb and delay as Roback's fingers glide up and down the neck, making his guitar sound like shooting stars falling into an intoxicating whirlpool of hazy feedback and organ washes. "Roseblood" borrows (well, totally lifts) the guitar from Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay," giving Roback space for his loose, blissful solos over the overused but always effective Mazzy Star slow to mid-tempo snare.

The majority of the highlights, however, come more plainly wrapped, and it's on these stripped-down acoustic songs that Sandoval's voice commands full attention. "Take Everything" (which features Jesus and Mary Chain guitarist and Sandoval's boyfriend William Reid) starts with nothing more than a lonely guitar, building as it moves along, with Sandoval sounding emotionally exhausted by its end. "Flowers in December" and "I've Been Let Down" differ greatly in mood but are stylistically similar; with bare, simple strumming and rudimentary harmonica, they recall Neil Young's "Harvest." "All Your Sisters" is every bit as naked as Sandoval sings "I'm gonna put something in you, make the devil feel ... surprised," a lone guitar and cello painting a somber backdrop.

Although there's nothing as immediate as "Fade Into You" from So Tonight That I Might See, or "Ghost Highway" or "Blue Flower" from She Hangs Brightly, Mazzy Star have created a remarkable listening experience. Beautifully sublime and graceful, they've hit the bulls-eye, expanding on earlier ideas and crafting 12 exquisite songs that, although they may not sway the masses, are sure to add more fuel to their fans' fires. Too bad we probably won't get another one until 1999.
[© 1996 by Creative Loafing]

Mazzy Star has created "a release that divinely whispers all your fears of love and rejection, yet leaves you looking for more."

All Reviews
Mazzy Star: Among My Swan

Among My Swan is the third, and undoubtedly most powerful release from Hope Sandoval and David Roback, the core of Mazzy Star. They've taken the euphoric melodies and trance-like vocals of their previous albums, She Hangs Brightly, and So Tonight (That) I May See,(sic) and have altered them enough to create a release that divinely whispers all your fears of love and rejection, yet leaves you looking for more. The strength behind Hope's child-like voice, accompanied by the lyrical themes of faded love and utter desire give songs like "Disappear" and "Roseblood" their intensity; add to that the psychedelic, bluesy sound of David Roback's guitar on "Umbilical" and "All Your Sisters" and this release will not disappoint any old fan, or reject any new one. Mazzy Star does what I thought was never possible — give Billy Corgan a run for his money as master of melancholy. -- Janine Flaccavento
[All Reviews - online]

"the music of Mazzy Star is...a fine latticework of melody and harmony that captures, evades, and haunts."

Daily Penn Music7
Among My Swan

Mazzy Star are the troubadours of midsummer nights when the light of departing dusks silhouette tree trunks against midnight blue skies. Their music is that of aching passion and plaintive reflection, of a uniquely ethereal sonority that characterizes so few other modern musicians. And on Among My Swan, Mazzy Star once again wonderfully invoke the spirits of sorrow and salvation that made "Fade Into You" from their excellent 1993 debut, So Tonight That I Might See, such a poignantly powerful song.

While the musical style of So Tonight featured both the tender wailing of the Cowboy Junkies as well as the dark beauty of the songs of Leonard Cohen, Among My Swan is much more of a uniformly mellow album. With the sole exception of David Roback's dusty guitars in "Umbilical," the songs on Swan smolder in a haunting quiet, rendering such songs as "Rhymes Of An Hour" and "All Your Sisters" aesthetically mysterious and "Disappear" and "Take Everything" captivatingly angelic.

Hope Sandoval, who, together with David Roback, forms the creative core of Mazzy Star, sings her lyrics on Among My Swan slowly and pensively, allowing her voice to drift resonantly through the songs, rather than cutting into the songs' melodies, as she did in the Jesus and Mary Chain's 1994 single "Sometimes Always." The result is layers of beautiful, flowing vocals, woven into songs such as the album's last, "Look On Down From The Bridge."

It is a grand injustice that a band such as Mazzy Star have come to be denied so much deserved respect and admiration due to the mainstream success of "Fade Into You." But the very beautiful quality of Among My Swan reminds listeners that the music of Mazzy Star is not a set of disposable songs for the decadence of mainstream radio, but a fine latticework of melody and harmony that captures, evades, and haunts.
--Brian Cross        © Copyright 1996 The Daily Pennsylvanian, Inc. - online

"I'm most bewitched by "Umbilical,"... If I were to sleepwalk, this is the music I'd like as my soundtrack."

"There's an alluring, hypnotic quality in her voice that draws a listener into the personal darkness created by Roback's songs."

New Jersey Online
Scotts on Sound
Mazzy Star: Among My Swan

Scott B: Hope Sandoval is an irresistable snake charmer. David Roback is one of the great trippy songwriters of our time.

On Among My Swan, Mazzy Star's latest album, Sandoval whispers her airy vocals over Roback's weepy, sleepy guitar-based atmospherics. The effect is riveting.

Like Galaxy 500, Cowboy Junkies and Velvet Underground, Mazzy Star takes advantage of drowsy, extended jams. It's a hypnotic display of restraint, and Sandoval's hushed vigor drives it.

"Flowers In December," with three simple acoustic-guitar chords and Sandoval's elementary harmonica, never grows tired. Instead, I find myself disappointed when the songs ends five minutes later.

William Reid from the Jesus and Mary Chain returns -- he and Sandoval sang a duet on the surprise Chain hit "Sometimes Always" -- on guitar to help drive "Take Everything." But I'm most bewitched by "Umbilical," a darkly pretty song where Sandoval does spoken word over organ and effects-drenched, beyond-the-fretboard slide guitar. If I were to sleepwalk, this is the music I'd like as my soundtrack.

Scott H: You're right about Sandoval. She could make me do just about anything.

There's an alluring, hypnotic quality in her voice that draws a listener into the personal darkness created by Roback's songs. Sure, there's an obvious Cowboy Junkies comparison. But where the Junkies remain rural and folkie, there's definitely an urban feeling going on here on Among My Swan.

This is rainy-day music for looking out the window at the miles of sloppy gray pavement and deciding if you're going to do drugs to get away from it all -- or simply spend the afternoon huddled over dark, strong coffee in a cafe down the alley.

It's those bits of modern urbanity -- like the guitar wash on "Umbilical" that you mention, Brodeur -- that give this album its special character. But it's Sandoval's magic that keeps Mazzy Star from being just another droning, navel-gazing group.

She has enough personal charm to make me think I'm sitting in that cafe with her, staring out at the rain and somehow thinking her depression has a delicate beauty of its own, no matter what she decides to to do about it.

Scott B: I'm trying my best, Hersey, to avoid having your fantasies get in the way of my enjoying this record. But I have to tell you, the thought of you and Sandoval sipping cappuccino together in a cafe taints this otherwise beguiling album for me.

Scott H: You misread me. I'd rather hang out with Luscious Jackson girls anytime. But I can certainly admire Mazzy Star's dark sensuality.

The Luscious record goes on early at the party. The Mazzy Star album is reserved for about 5 a.m., when things are quieting down and the few people left standing are ready for something quieter and more intimate. [New Jersey Online]

Among My Swan is Mazzy Star's third album. The first album, She Hangs Brightly, slipped unnoticed past many, this reviewer included. On the other hand, a lot of people sat up and paid a lot of attention to their second album, So Tonight That I Might See.

Credit must go to the suits for not pressuring Dave Roeback and Hope Sandoval into cashing in on their new-found fame with a formula copy, but instead letting them take all the time they needed to work on the new album. In many ways, the gamble paid off: this album is not so different from So Tonight That I Might See. The bluesy fragility and country melancholia is still very much present; much of the percussion is nothing more than a simple tambourine, and the instrumentation hovers between an acoustic or electric guitar, with a few basslines or violins dotted here and there.

The album opens on a sleepy track "Disappear", with Hope sounding only half-convinced that the album has started, and a guitar doodling around upon waves of heavily distorted electric guitar way down in the mix. The second song, "Flowers in December" picks up, with acoustic guitar and tambourine providing the backdrop to a harmonica intro that sounds like the melody to The Go-Between's "Quiet Heart".

As the songs go by, it becomes clear that Mazzy Star are intent on pursuing a precise direction in their music. While the first album was a quirky patchwork of different writing styles, the second album slimmed down the variants and on this album they have reduced their margin of manoeuvre down to almost nothing. The first four songs blend into each other with little differentiation; all stripped down to the bare bones of delicate guitar noodlings, laid-back percussion and Hope's vocals. Which makes for excellent the-party's-over late night listening.

Which makes "Take Everything" a bit of a kicker. The song starts out much the same as the previous tracks, however, it builds up considerable intensity and lifts the album up a notch. Possibly due to William Reid returning a favour (Hope Sandoval added the vocals to the Jesus & Mary Chain track "Sometimes Always" on Stoned and Dethroned), to lay down a JMC guitar riff on the song.

Briefly, taking in the rest, "All Your Sisters" is an absolute gem. Down the minimalist path again, with only an acoustic guitar to accompany Hope. "I've Been Let Down" and "Look On Down From The Bridge" are the two most overtly country-sounding tracks. "Umbilical" is very much the song "So Tonight That I Might See, Part II". Same guitars going beserk in the background, exploding like fireworks; along with "Roseblood", with its reverse-gated guitar.

Among My Swan is an album that begs to be considered as a whole. It's not the sort of album to be heard in shuffle mode. It deserves to be listened to from start to finish to get the most out of it. That said, in all honesty, if you don't have the budget to both this and So Tonight That I Might See then I would class STTIMS as being more important. So get that first, and if you like it, you'll probably winding up purchasing Among My Swan anyway. You won't be disappointed.

Guitarist David Roback and singer Hope Sandoval have mastered the art of making moody records that aren't ponderous. Mazzy Star's dreamlike, Velvet Underground-esque vibe remains compelling on its third album, another perfect soundtrack for solitude. Producer Roback, who's been fond of fuzzed-out guitar licks since his days in the L.A. "Paisley Underground" band Rain Parade, heavily laces these 12 tracks with distortion, making "Among My Swan" a bit spookier than 1993's "So Tonight That I Might See" and 1990's "She Hangs Brightly."

A couple of songs begin to feel like a David Lynch film: vaguely romantic, vaguely eerie. The darkly psychedelic "Rose Blood" plays like a warped '50s torch ballad, as Roback's guitar oscillates ominously behind Sandoval's lush crooning. The chilling "Umbilical" leaves a similarly unsettling impression with its miasma of disorienting sounds and half-obscured vocals.

Although the atmosphere is aloof and spacey, Roback creates interesting musical textures throughout, and Sandoval's phantasmic deadpan never drones. Emotions are restrained but palpable on such tracks as the dramatic, mournful "Take Everything" and the subdued, yearning soul ballad "Look on Down From the Bridge. "  Not surprisingly, the most straight-forward number is the lilting first single, "I've Been Let Down," a gentle, acoustic-driven traveling song with a traditional country feel.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).
[©1996 Times Mirror Company]

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