Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions: Through The Devil Softly

Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
Through The Devil Softly
Nettwerk Music Group [2009]







Fire Note Says: Her voice hasn't changed one bit!

Album Review:
I don't think there is much argument to saying Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star) has absolutely one of the most infectious and distinguishable voices out there. Unfortunately, she has been mostly absent after Mazzy Star ended and her solo debut Bavarian Fruit Bread in 2001. So here we are eight years later and Hope Sandoval returns with Through The Devil Softly, which sounds exactly how you might think - finely detailed, intricate arrangements and Sandoval's haunting vocals. This will appeal to longtime followers of Hope's work but will probably stop there because it is a crawl to the albums 51 minute finish line. This is not to say it is a bad crawl because each track has its own interesting swagger and Sandoval has never sounded better, but the pacing was an overall issue because it makes Through The Devil Softly an album to take in pieces, rather then in one sitting. It is nice to be talking about Hope Sandoval again and listing to this record was a solid reminder of why Mazzy Star's sophomore record So Tonight That I Might See [1993] is so highly revered. Although Through The Devil Softly lacks staying power, it is worth checking out and hopefully generates some more material from Sandoval sooner than later.

Key Tracks: "Blanchard", "Trouble", "For The Rest Of Your Life"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Kritin Hersh
The Sundays
Cowboy Junkies

Official Hope Sandoval Website
Hope Sandoval MySpace
Hope Sandoval Info [Allmusic]
Nettwerk Music Group

-Reviewed by Reece Michael