Kendra Smith - The Guild of Temporal Adventurers (1992)

Kendra Smith's debut solo outing has far more in common with the subdued, meditative textures of Opal's Early Recordings than the swirling atmospherics of Happy Nightmare Baby, though shades of the latter are present in the dreamlike nature of its soundscapes and, of course, in Smith's characteristically laconic vocals. On this note, especially pertinent with Smith's use of a pump-organ as primary instrument, allusions to Nico are inevitable. Although such comparisons are not entirely unfounded--after all, her previous band the Dream Syndicate followed their Velvets-drenched muse to great success--present in Smith's recordings is a warmth and vitality that are entirely her own. The sense of otherworldliness that permeates 'The Guild of Temporal Adventurers' is a keen reminder of what was missing from the second incarnation of Opal, Mazzy Star, and what was lacking in Smith's replacement, Hope Sandoval.

- Ariel

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