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Still (Mazzy Star EP)

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Still
EP by
Mazzy Star
ReleasedJune 1, 2018
Recorded1993–2017
GenrePsychedelic rock[1]
Length18:25
LabelRhymes of An Hour
Producer
Mazzy Star chronology
Seasons of Your Day
(2013) 		Still
(2018)

Still is an EP by American alternative rock band Mazzy Star, released on June 1, 2018 by the group's own independent record label, Rhymes of An Hour.[2] It was their first release since the 2013 studio album Seasons of Your Day, and was issued in dedication to founding drummer Keith Mitchell, and stage manager Tom Cashen, both of whom died in 2017.[3] The EP contains a mixture of both new and old material, and received generally positive reviews upon release. The band promoted the release with several concerts at the Sydney Opera House. "Quiet, the Winter Harbor" was released as its only single. The EP was the final Mazzy Star release issued before co-founder David Roback died on February 24, 2020.[4]

Composition and recording

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Still is Mazzy Star's first major release since Seasons of Your Day in 2013, which had been their first studio album in almost two decades.[5] It is also their first release since the death of founding drummer Keith Mitchell in 2017.[6] The EP contains a mix of both new and older material: "Quiet, the Winter Harbor" was first performed live by the band during a concert in London in 2000, while "That Way Again" has been performed live since 1994.[3] It also contains an alternate version of "So Tonight That I Might See", the title track to the band's 1993 studio album.[7]

Release and promotion

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"Quiet, the Winter Harbor" was released as a single in April 2018.[8] Still appeared on streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify on June 1, in advance of their scheduled appearance at Vivid Live in Sydney.[9] The festival saw the band performing on three consecutive nights at the Sydney Opera House, which were their first Australian concerts ever.[10][11][12] It is unknown if they intend to perform further concerts,[13] although vocalist Hope Sandoval has confirmed that the band will release more music "at some point".[3]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(74/100)[14]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Paste(7.7/10)[15]
Pitchfork(7.1/10)[7]
Spectrum Culture[16]
Under the Radar[17]

The EP received generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, it received an average score of 74 out of 100, based on 4 publications, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[14] It also received a score of 6.4 at AnyDecentMusic?.[18]

Tim Sendra of AllMusic called it "classic Mazzy Star", elaborating that the band shows "none of the ravages of time one might expect. They still make beautiful music that weaves a spell that's hard to break, and [Hope] Sandoval and [David] Roback can't seem to shake the effects. After just a few seconds of the first song, around the time Sandoval's voice comes in, the listener will find the old familiar Mazzy Star feeling taking hold once again, just as bewitchingly strong as ever."[5] Similarly, Timothy Michalik of Under the Radar said the EP "brings forth a certain sense of familiarity and comfort for both long time Mazzy Star fans and newcomers alike." He praised "Quiet, the Winter Harbor" as its best song, saying that its "soft, seraphic piano seems to open up an entirely alternate universe for [the band]."[17] BrooklynVegan commended the diversity of material found on the release, explaining: "Since it's just four songs, it's nice that each one is noticeably different from the rest, and each one really stands on its own as a powerful song. With this short EP alone, Mazzy Star remind you that they could never be pigeon-holed."[1]

A writer for Paste commented: "While the sound hasn't changed much, neither has the impact of the music that they've mastered. 28 years later, Mazzy Star can still create a hell of a mood, their dark romanticism sounding anything but dated."[15] Spectrum Culture gave a negative review, criticizing the length of "So Tonight That I Might See" before summarizing: "Unlike [on] the full-length [albums], where you often find something to help carry the weight of the more challenging tracks, this EP doesn't have anything which a listener can really get excited about."[16]

Track listing

[edit]

All songs written by Hope Sandoval and David Roback.

No.TitleLength
1."Quiet, the Winter Harbor"4:15
2."That Way Again"4:13
3."Still"2:05
4."So Tonight That I Might See" (Ascension Version)7:52

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the vinyl edition of Still.[19]

Charts

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Chart (2018) Peak
position
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[20] 27

References

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  1. ^ a b Sacher, Andrew (June 1, 2018). "Album Reviews: Kanye West, Mazzy Star, Laura Marling, more". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  2. ^ Walsh, April Clare (April 28, 2018). "Mazzy Star announce new EP Still". Fact. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Troussé, Stephen. "'At some point we'll release more music' | As a new Mazzy Star EP fades into view, the enigmatic duo remain heroically non-committal". Uncut. Retrieved June 9, 2018 – via PressReader.
  4. ^ Slotnik, Daniel E. (February 26, 2020). "David Roback, 61, a Founder of the Band Mazzy Star, Is Dead". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Sendra, Tim. "Still – Mazzy Star | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  6. ^ Reed, Ryan (April 18, 2018). "Mazzy Star Release Delicate New Song, Detail 'Still' EP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Cardew, Ben (June 6, 2018). "Mazzy Star: Still Album Review". Pitchfork Media. Condé Nast. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  8. ^ Green, Gil (June 1, 2018). "Mazzy Star Share 'Still' EP, Their First Release In 4 Years: Listen". Stereogum. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  9. ^ Schatz, Lake (June 1, 2018). "Mazzy Star premiere Still EP, featuring their first new music in four years: Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  10. ^ Gaca, Anna (June 1, 2018). "Stream Mazzy Star's New Still EP". Spin. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  11. ^ Russell, Scott (April 18, 2018). "Mazzy Star Preview New EP Still With "Quiet, the Winter Harbor," First New Single Since 2014". Paste. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  12. ^ Elphick, Nicole (June 9, 2018). "What's on in Sydney: June 10–16". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  13. ^ Trendell, Andrew (March 20, 2018). "Mazzy Star to reunite for first live show in five years". NME. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Still [EP] by Mazzy Star Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Desler, Madison (May 31, 2018). "Mazzy Star: Still EP Review :: Music :: Reviews". Paste. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  16. ^ a b Wright, Darrell (June 7, 2018). "Mazzy Star: Still EP". Spectrum Culture. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  17. ^ a b Michalik, Timothy (June 5, 2018). "Mazzy Star: Still EP (Rhymes of An Hour) Review". Under the Radar. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  18. ^ "Still by Mazzy Star reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
  19. ^ Still (Vinyl liner notes). Mazzy Star. Rhymes of An Hour. 2018. Rhymes–006.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ^ "Mazzy Star Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
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