Hope Sandoval and David Roback, better known as the core duo of mournful, misanthropic Mazzy Star have been around for a very long time. They may have gone through a couple different record labels, bouncing from Rough Trade to Capitol after the closing of Rough Trade’s US branch; performed under different names, though most are probably not as familiar with Roback’s 1990’s group Opal, and dropped several albums since their first in 1993, but Mazzy Star still remains stubbornly recognizable.
That is to say, the instrumental, vaguely psychedelic Mazzy Star knows what it’s good at and who their fanbase is. If you are looking for a brand new sound from their upcoming EP Still, scheduled to debut June 1, 2018, then you will be disappointed. Everything from Sandoval’s ethereal crooning on “Still,” to Roback’s expert acoustic strums on “Quiet, The Winter Harbour” recalls the raw emotional resonance of their first major tracks such as the 1993 hit “Fade Into You” or the cult favorite “Into Dust.”
Most bands that have been around for more than a decade lose much of their staying power. Mazzy Star has managed to stay relevant in an atmosphere that is slowly beginning to reject the the organic qualities that made Mazzy Star popular in the first place. They’re not about to make any grand changes any time soon, and they don’t have to—they’re not in danger of being forgotten.
Still is set to release June 1, 2018 on (iTunes, Amazon, Spotify)