Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions
Bavarian Fruit Bread


4.0
excellent

Review

by FlawedPerfection EMERITUS
January 26th, 2007 | 43 replies


Release Date: 2001 | Tracklist

Review Summary: My Bloody Valentine with a vocal-centric spin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym6NgyXChtQ&NR

Watch that. If you can’t, I’ll explain, but it is definitely better to have the visual in mind. At the end of the Milky Way bar commercial, for just a split second, you see the image of a Milky Way bar splitting apart. In the center, there is a plethora of caramel oozing from the center of the chocolate bar. The caramel, so milky and smooth, gracefully falls towards the end of each chocolate bar. It is almost indescribable how well that caramel symbolizes the sound of Hope Sandoval and The Warm Inventions. The way the caramel oozes and dangles so slowly is equivalent to the trance-like, blurred state of mind this music can put the listener in. It is dreamy and beautiful.

Hope Sandoval has been around for over 15 years now, and for most of her career, she sang with the dream pop band Mazzy Star. After Mazzy Star broke up, she worked freelance, collaborating with acts such as Massive Attack, Air, and The Chemical Brothers. The 21st century saw the forming of this project with The Warm Inventions, who serve as a backup band headed by Colm O’Ciosoig of My Bloody Valentine. The two fit together perfectly, with the ambiguous yet still beautiful sound brought from My Bloody Valentine and Sandoval’s airy, warm voice that floats overtop of any instrument. The Warm Inventions are guitar based, although many other instruments, namely piano, harmonica, and strings find their way onto the album, along with little electronic inflections. They never sacrifice the mood of the album for some sort of technical music; some of the melodies are as simple as possible.

With such a defined mood, it is hard to remember specific tracks and remember what they sounded like. However, when listened to individually, some tracks do pull off the overall sound better than others. Drop starts things off right with a lazy guitar chord progression, dainty bells, and simple bass. Sandoval’s voice floats overtop of the instruments perfectly, with a slurred style that sets the precedent for the rest of the album. Drop may not be the most musically interesting, but it sets the atmosphere for the album perfectly and serves simply as an opening song. Still, the album reaches a new level of calm on Butterfly Mornings. A great, very rubato guitar riff outlines the song, with sparse, airy vocals from Hope and slight harmonica. The calmness of the guitar riff and Hope’s singing is unparalleled by any song on the album. The guitar playing itself is superb and some of the better acoustic playing in a long time.

Short instrumentals break up the album into segments, the two being Baby Let Me and Bavarian Fruit Bread. Baby Let Me is a piano piece that crescendos throughout, before slowing down and getting quieter right near the end. Meanwhile, Bavarian Fruit Bread is an ambient piece, resembling Brian Eno’s work on his Ambient series. Despite the contrasting styles, they have the same effect, setting an atmosphere and giving a quick break from Sandoval’s vocals, although her voice is good enough that it isn’t really needed at all. The contrasting styles yet similar effects of the instrumentals sums up the general synopsis of the entire album well. Bavarian Fruit Bread has the string-led Feeling of Gaze, the slightly groovy On the Low, which would fit in at any Woodstock, and the growing Clear Day, but the first few listens of the album probably won’t pick up on that. Bavarian Fruit Bread takes the laid back music of The Warm Inventions, which really closely resembles My Bloody Valentine, and puts it in more accessible terms with the vocals of Hope Sandoval. It conveys a lazy sunny day, sitting under a tree in the shade and just enjoying life. Or maybe a Milky Way bar. Who knows, take a listen and see what it means to you.

Recommended Tracks:
Butterfly Mornings
On the Low
Feeling of Gaze
Clear Day
Untitled



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user ratings (44)
3.7
great

Comments:Add a Comment 
Electric City
January 26th 2007


15756 Comments


The intro is fantastic. This looks awesome.

FlawedPerfection
Emeritus
January 26th 2007


2807 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

It would be amazing if I could post the video on here

JumpTheF**kUp
January 27th 2007


2723 Comments


I really want this now.
Review's great.

The Jungler
January 27th 2007


4826 Comments


This is a really good review, though I don't quite understand your Summary, seeing as though MBV do have vocals. But your sexually arousing introduction more than makes up for this.
Album sounds cool.

Kayetan
January 27th 2007


5 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Good review. This album is really nice. It's very relaxed and beautiful. And caramelly too.

FlawedPerfection
Emeritus
January 27th 2007


2807 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

[quote=Jungler]MBV do have vocals.[/quote]



Really? I haven't listened to MBV in ages and I don't remember vocals. I'll fix that, thanks.

The Jungler
January 27th 2007


4826 Comments


The vocals are really low in the mix, and do to the lack of audible lyrics they sometimes seem more like an instrument than anything.
That makes them even better though

francesfarmer
January 27th 2007


1477 Comments


My Bloody Valentine also kind of have lyrics, that you can kind of hear, in the songs.

enedwaith
January 25th 2016


1865 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

finally going to get around to checking this out. i love hope

enedwaith
January 25th 2016


1865 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

holy jeez the around my smile track is incredible

enedwaith
January 29th 2016


1865 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

damn last post was nearly a decade ago, weird to think about

Deathconscious
June 6th 2017


27459 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

oh my goooooooooooooooood. im fucking melting.

budgie
August 30th 2017


38237 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

fat bump

budgie
September 22nd 2017


38237 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

come on boys and girls



check the opener at least

Deathconscious
September 23rd 2017


27459 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

their other two albums need reviews.

budgie
September 23rd 2017


38237 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

i really want someone to review the fazerdaze and hazel english LPs

Deathconscious
August 16th 2018


27459 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

ugh, Lady Jessica and Sam is just sublime.

budgie
August 16th 2018


38237 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

hellll yes man i love how she sings in that track.

Deathconscious
August 16th 2018


27459 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

and the closer dude, GAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

budgie
August 16th 2018


38237 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

you stoked for new molly burch LP?



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