This whole Hope Sandoval deep dive started cause I was cleaning out my closet, found a dusty old CD case full of 90s stuff. Right on top was Mazzy Star’s ‘So Tonight That I Might See’. Kinda blew my mind – hadn’t seen it in years. Put it aside thinking, “Man, her voice… gotta revisit that.”
Digging Up the Gems
Took me a week before I actually dug out my old CD player. Batteries were dead, obviously. Had to hunt down AAs, finally got it working. Pressed play on ‘Fade Into You’ and… yeah. Just transported me. Decided I needed more Sandoval in my ears, pronto.
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My digging process was messy:
- First, I rooted through my own crates again. Found some random singles but nothing cohesive.
- Next step: hit up a buddy who collects vinyl. Figured he might have oldies. Guy scratched his head. “Hope Sandoval? Wasn’t she in… uh… some band?” No luck.
- Got stubborn. Went down a YouTube rabbit hole late one night searching “Hope Sandoval 90s”. Clicked playlists made by other fans. Listened to EVERYTHING – Mazzy Star, her stuff with The Jesus and Mary Chain, the collabs.
Building That Perfect Playlist
Heard a ton, but gotta pick the standouts, right? Needed stuff that really punched me in the gut. Made a list on a real, honest-to-god sticky note:
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The Non-Negotiables:
- ‘Fade Into You’ (Mazzy Star): C’mon. It’s the anthem. That opening guitar still melts me.
- ‘Into Dust’ (Mazzy Star): This one sneaks up on you. Starts slow, builds. Her voice feels… fragile? But heavy. Still gets me.
- ‘Sometimes Always’ (The Jesus and Mary Chain ft. Hope): Found this collab again. That back-and-forth with Reid? Magic. Totally forgot how hooky it was.
Listening Properly
Had the tracks. Now, how to hear them like back then? Tried headphones first. Good, yeah, but… felt too clean? Dug my crappy old boombox out of the garage. Popped in a CD-R I burned. Crackly speakers, slight hum. THAT was the vibe. Sat on the floor with it, just listening. ‘Halah’ came on and man, it hit different. Rawer, maybe?
Why It Mattered
Spent a whole afternoon just getting lost in these songs. Made a playlist. It ain’t about nostalgia being perfect. Parts are hazy, song titles are blurry. But those tracks? Solid. Hearing Sandoval sing about weird love and being kinda lost… sounds obvious now, but back then? Felt new. Felt real. Still makes my chest hurt sometimes. Found what I was hunting for – that slow-burn ache only the 90s did like this.