Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Laid-back, slowcore ethereal alternative pop
Status:
Most recent release, Until The Hunter (2016)
See also:
Hope Sandoval's siteThe Ectophiles' Guide's entry for Mazzy Star
Comparisons:
Mazzy Star, Elysian Fields—Mazzy Star without the jangling or electronic leanings. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Covers/own material:
Mostly own
General comments:
Hope Sandoval is the former lead singer of Mazzy Star. Ó Cíosóig was formerly with My Bloody Valentine.
Recommended first album:
Bavarian Fruit Bread
Recordings:
- At the Doorway Again ep (2001)
- Suzanne (ep, 2001)
- Bavarian Fruit Bread (2001)
- Through The Devil Softly (2009)
- Until The Hunter (2016)
At the Doorway Again
Release info:
2001—Rough Trade
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Comments:
not bad, judging by 1.5 listens. as languid as mazzy star, but more liquid, if that makes any sense, and less country-like. some burbly keyboards here and there give this a different tone as well. bert jansch guests on one track. until hearing this, i never really realized that hope can give jennifer charles of elysian fields a run for her money in the sultry department. (woj@smoe.org)Finally, Hope Sandoval and Warm Invention, "At the doorway again". Again, continuity—this could well be a new Mazzy Star CD! Relaxed, unhurried, yet somewhat smoldering, it picks up pretty much where Among My Swan left off. Which is a huge relief for me—I need some Mazzy Star now and then! Slight difference in sound, more like a continental drift than a real change, brings them ever closer to the Elysian Fields. Perhaps they will merge one day :) (afries@zip.com.au)
Bavarian Fruit Bread
Release info:
2001—Rough Trade—06076-83201-2
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Hope Sandoval—vocals, guitar, keys, glockenspiel, harmonica, backing vocals
Ó Cíosóig—drums, bass, guitar, keys, backing vocals
Guest artists:
Alan Browne—bass on tracks 1, 4, 11
Juilan Goldwhite—guitar on track 10
Jill Emery—bass on track 10
Bert Jansch—guitar on tracks 3, 7
Paul mc Quillan—guitar on tracks 4, 11
Mike Prosenko—guitar on track 1
Ji-Young Woon—cello on track 6
Nicole Presley—backing vocals on track 1
Arve Henrickson—trumpet on track 12
Produced by:
Hope Sandoval and Ó Cíosóig
Comments:
Amazing solo debut! What has amazed me even more are all the rave reviews she has got in norwegian media. If her forthcoming releases are all half this good then I'm really gonna be happy. (onealien@mo.himolde .no)Whether or not you like this cd depends on how you like the central conceit of Ms. Sandoval's singing. A little girl Lolita voice, distant, bored and slutty, without much range or power against vaguely folky, postmodern country—not quite slowcore, not quite psychedelic. I like the vaporous, desultory sound myself, but not all the time. This is firmly a 2AM cd. (ethereal_lad@livejournal.com)
I enjoy the cd basically for the atmosphere it creates. Hope's voice is in great form and even though only one or two of the songs actually claim a life of their own to me, the mood and feeling this cd creates (like some of Mazzy Star's stuff) is great to just sit back and listen to. I'm a lyrics person but when I listen to Hope or Mazzy Star I really only hear the voice and the music. It's worth buying. (RocketsTail@aol.com)
This is a great album for the right mood, which is usually a late at night/really early morning when you want something to drift along to, something to feel rather than something to make you think. Similar to yet different from Mazzy Star, slower, gentler, more sensuous. (JoAnn Whetsell)
Through the Devil Softly
Release info:
2009—Nettwerk—0 6700 30848 2 6
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Hope Sandoval—vocals, all instruments not otherwise listed
Colm Ó Cíosóig—drums, all instruments not otherwise listed
Guest artists:
Alan Browne—bass
Charles Cullen—guitar & slide
Dave Brennan—guitar
Paul McQuillan—guitar
Mick Whelan—piano
Nigel Cullen—drums
Ji Young Moon—cello
Suki Ewers—keyboards
Sylvia Gomez—backing vocals
Produced by:
Hope Sandoval & Colm Ó Cíosóig
Comments:
Similar overall to Bavarian Fruit Bread, but somewhat darker and maybe a touch edgier. (JoAnn Whetsell)yaaaawn! (lasherboy@gmail.com)
Until the Hunter
Release info:
2016—Tendril Tales—TT03
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Group members:
Hope Sandoval—vocals, backing vocals, keyboards, vibes
Colm Ó Cíosóig—guitars, drums
Guest artists:
Charles Cullen, Dave Brennan, Jim Putnam—guitars
Al Browne—bass
Mick Whelan—keyboards
Ji-Young Moon—cello
Michael Masley—gong and nickleharp
Mariee Sioux—vocals, backing vocals
Kurt Vile—vocals (4)
Produced by:
Colm Ó Cíosóig
Comments:
An interesting collection, more varied than their previous albums. Explores psychedelica ("Into the Trees," "Salt of the Sea"), spare folk, and brighter songs that both reflect and expand on the light/dreamy/folk vein of their first two albums. Maybe not quite as cohesive as those albums, but it also suffers less from their sameyness. (JoAnn Whetsell)One of the best albums of the year. (christina_skov@hotmail.com)
Thanks to JoAnn Whetsell for work on this entry.
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