i never really wanted your heart

Swathes of folk and psyschedelia cloaked in Hope Sandoval's trademark hypnotic vocals make for very good listening on rainy days and late nights. Her calm and understated singing set off against rambling distortions in the backgroundhere make for a song that manages just a right balance between a sense of capitivating ennui and delicate adult cynicism.

Though ' Blue Flower' is not one of Mazzy Star's more recognizable hits like ' Fade Into You' and 'Flowers In December', I find that this song exemplifies well a certain kind of sound that if I ever were in a band, would like to make. The noisy Velvet Undergroundish backscape by guitarist David Roback is already amazing enough, but it is Sandoval's singing and presence that is so utterly unique. Like eyes that seem to draw you in the more you look into them, she communicates more than what the plaintive folksy lyrics do with every nuance and inflection in her breathy and husky voice. Hope remains one of my favourite vocalists, for listening to her
never tires.

Look around for their other songs if you find you like what you hear. ' Blue Flower' is a fine example of Mazzy Star's earlier playful and noisy workouts, but the band's mellower and slower songs like ' Into Dust' demonstrates that they are very much capable too of music that make a virtue out of simplicity.

Something many look for, but few actually pull off. But when they do, it's beautiful.

Mazzy Star - Blue Flower

it's not official, but it's very well made. Look here if you want info, lyrics, chords and such.

The quality of the video is not very good, but here's another of Mazzy Star's that shows a different folksier side of the band. A better sounding version of the song is on radioblog just up there.

Mazzy Star - I've Been Let Down

It is not just her voice but the way she holds herself actually, and yep, that's a harmonica attractively played by a very attractive lady.