Mazzy Star - Seasons Of Your Day
Seasons Of Your Day is the fourth and final studio album from ‘90s alt-rock duo Mazzy Star, released in September 2013 through their independent label Rhymes of an Hour.
In The Kingdom opens the album and the listener is immediately struck by David Roback’s signature guitar twang, and it was clear that Mazzy Star were back and better than ever. It isn’t often one hears an organ outside of an orchestral arrangement - but here it is, bold and booming, already solidifying Seasons of Your Day as an integral part of the Mazzy Star canon.
There is an eeriness to Seasons of Your Day, and this can be heard on California with Roback’s raw acoustic guitar and Hope Sandoval’s melancholic lyrical delivery – with none of the intricate guitar picking which is so integral to the general sound of Mazzy Star, it becomes impossible to be ignore the darkness which looms beneath the surface.
Common Burn is a standout track on the album, beautiful through and through. It is one of the loveliest songs I have had the pleasure of hearing, and for those unfamiliar with Mazzy Star this is the perfect entry point to their discography. It is a perfect song, a modern classic one could say. It doesn’t demand to be heard, rather asks to be listened to – with it’s quiet beginning and slow build-up to the end. ‘Tis perfect for that sunset walk teeming with self-reflection, grateful for what once was and what is yet to come.
Sometimes you come across an album which betters your understanding of yourself and of others, and this is one of those. The title track, Seasons Of Your Day is an exploration of the vast range of emotions and the importance of understanding these emotions.
“It’s my mistake not to understand the seasons of your day/That you change/Won’t you let me come inside?/I’ve released all of my pride/And I know you’re alone cause I’ve been there/I know you’ve been missing me/Well, you know/I’ve been missing you too.”
Gut-wrenching.
Lay Myself Down features some country-esque slide guitar, and the trusty old tambourine – the perfect song for the last dance of the night in an old Irish pub.
Flying Low was Mazzy Stars final hurrah on their last studio album, and what a way to go. There is nothing more rock ‘n’ roll than a harmonica, some slide guitar, and the metallic thud of a drum. This definitely would have been John Wayne’s favourite song – airpods in, fluffy and pink cowboy hat on, saddled up.
