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Productivity is not a major concern in Hope Sandoval's corner of the universe, with this being her first album in eight years. While the time since 2001's under-rated Bavarian Fruit Bread would normally be enough to make you forget about most musicians, most musicians don't have the memorable set of pipes she does. To borrow an old cliche, she could sing the phone book and make it sound great. And she does sound great on Through The Devil Softly, perfectly partnering with the somber and reflective mood of the music provided by her band, The Warm Inventions (featuring ex-My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm O'Ciosoig on drums). Perhaps more so than any of her previous efforts (both as a solo artist and with Mazzy Star) this albums strays from the commercial side of music, choosing instead to thrive solely on its dark, sensual and subtly psychedelic mood, which is more heavily influenced by English folk than ever before. While that may prevent it from being successful as a piece of pop product, it works well on an artistic level. The album is probably best absorbed by listening to it from start to finish (preferably with lit candles and incense in the room), but I find myself getting the most lost in the opener "Blanchard", "There's A Willow" and the ghostly "Lady Jessica and Sam", the album's musical and emotional centerpiece. Let's hope they don't retreat back into the shadows and take another eight years before resurfacing with the follow-up.
DAVID MANSDORF
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