21 years ago, Mazzy Star released their second album So Tonight That I Might See. This album has stuck with me since I first heard “Fade Into You.” This genre bending took elements of alternative, pop, and a little bit of psychedelia and made a sensual, deep and beautiful album. Hope Sandoval’s unique and soft voice really sets the tone throughout. Dave Roback’s production and musical arrangements mix in plenty of variety among its tracks without losing sight of what made the group so special to begin with. There is also something very hypnotic about this album. Hope’s vocals across the haze on “Bells Ring” is seductive, her voice is a breath of melody. “Mary of Silence” slows the album down to a near halt, with each thump and beat fading into the ether. “Five String Serenade,” (a cover song from the band Love) is one of the albums finest moments. This version is simple, delicate and minimal in nature. “Wasted,” ripe with distortion, bluesy riff, is the heaviest song of the album’s ten compositions. Album closer, “So Tonight That I Might See,” introduces Native American inspired tribal percussion and the intermittent tambourine crash, covered over with a spoken-word vocal, executed with the signature subtle enthusiasm demonstrated throughout the record. So Tonight That I Might See never tries to be something it’s not. This album is devastating as it is touching and has stood the test of time since it’s release in 1993. This is definitely an album that should be in any music fans collection.
By: Brian Lacy
audioeclectica 