Mazzy Star – Seasons of Your Day

I first listened to Mazzy Star when ‘Look on Down from the Bridge’ played over the closing credits of one of my favorite Sopranos episodes. The song perfectly captured and strengthened the melancholic tone of that episode, and I immediately sought out more of their music. I quickly discovered that every Mazzy Star song sounds the same, and few sound as good as ‘Look on Down from the Bridge.’ The group hasn’t lost a step with their new album, ‘Seasons of Your Day.’ They’re as emotionally monochromatic and repetitious as ever.

It wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense to examine the tracks on ‘Seasons of Your Day’ individually. Each song bleeds into the next. The mood doesn’t shift beyond the decidedly melancholic. It’s not that the group is untalented. They effectively convey their bummed out vibe in each track. They just don’t know how (or refuse) to make their songs sound different from one another. That said, ‘Flying Low’ stands out as a track that had potential to be something more. Surrounded by emotionally damp songs, this one opened up to be bluesy and cool. Unfortunately, the band extinguishes the track’s promise by dragging things on for seven minutes.

There are few bands that could go on hiatus for over a decade then get back together and cut an album that was exactly on par with their prior output. But Mazzy Star have managed to pull it off. The problem is, Mazzy Star’s musical adventurousness was always limited, and they refuse to explore new terrain. Though certain tracks on this album might make for tolerable closing credits music, there’s still nothing that can shake a fist at ‘Look on Down from the Bridge.’

Tags: mazzy star, music, seasons of your day

About the Author

Mike Conlon (also known as “the poor man’s Craig Silliphant”) is a writer and filmmaker. He goes to sleep reading magazines, and wakes up disoriented and craving caffeine. If you don’t mind generic tweets, follow him on Twitter: @mikeconlonsk