Audiopile Review: Those of you who only know Mazzy Star from ‘So Tonight That I Might See’ are in for a shock. Sure, that album’s great. And, yes, we love ‘Fade Into You’. But ‘So Tonight…’ is honestly the band’s third-best album, after ‘She Hangs Brightly’ and ‘Among My Swan’, both of which are finally back in print on vinyl. On their 1990 debut, ‘She Hangs Brightly’, Hope Sandoval and David Roback showed a particularly sharp focus of intent that was somewhat lost in the gauzy reverb of ‘So Tonight…’ three years later. And amazingly, and this is a hill we will die on, the debut’s first two tracks are both (even) better than ‘Fade Into You’. Opener ‘Halah’ is a casually enchanting piece of cosmic American music. And the cover of Slapp Happy’s ‘Blue Flower’ that follows audaciously replaces the original’s arch irony with aching sincerity. It also manages to remove multiple hooks from the choon while unbelievably making it even catchier. After that, ‘She Hangs Brightly’ continues this trend of wall-to-wall bangers, albeit rootsy dreampop bangers. The best.

She Hangs Brightly is the debut album from Mazzy Star, featuring guitarist Dave Roback and vocalist Hope Sandoval. Released in 1990, it is an incredible mixture of dream-pop and layered psychedelic rock sounds. The album features songs such as “Halah,” “Ride It On,” and “Be My Angel.” Indie exclusive pressed on Aqua Black Marble Vinyl