Hope Sandoval could sing about the junk between her toes and it would sound angelic. So imagine how lovely it is when she sings of memories, longings and other gauzy things. She could probably make you melt with just a few words--that is, if she cared enough to glance your way. Unlike most vocalists who wear their heart in their throat, Sandoval's voice tiptoes around emotion altogether, like it's separated from her soul by more than a few degrees. It has better things to do than pay attention to what she's saying. But despite the attachment disorder, her lyrics are far from vacant. On the title track, over a loop that wavers between a muffled snare and the sound of waves crashing on the shore, she threatens, "I've got a brand new machine/ I'm gonna make myself treat you mean/ I'm gonna spend all my money making you cry." Revenge never sounded so beautiful.
Sandoval's former band, Mazzy Star, fizzled out in 1996, and aside from a guest spot on Chemical Brothers' Surrender, she's pretty much been chilling ever since. This time around, she teams up with former My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm Ciosoig, who co-produced Bavarian Fruit Bread with her. Together, with a few other musicians, they are Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions, which translates to "people who play the cello and stuff so Hope can sing." It's unclear exactly what has been invented here, because it sounds a lot like Mazzy Star. And just like Mazzy Star, the soft guitars and cello make a perfect backdrop for Sandoval's musings.
The 12 tracks on Bavarian Fruit Bread float through spacey acoustic guitars and harmonicas, with a glockenspiel thrown in for extra romance. The mix is sparse and simple, with plenty of room to breathe. Despite the urgency of some of the lyrics, the clouds never clear long enough for the songs to pick up speed, keeping the tone on the other side of conscious. It's hard to imagine Sandoval's voice doing anything other than whispering around hints of sleepy emotion. But then, when it sounds this good, who would want it to do anything else?
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.