Sometimes referred to as a Hispanic Nico (by some in the music press), Hope Sandoval earned critical praise and some acclaim for her role as lead vocalist for the band Mazzy Star. She was born in 1966 and grew up in Los Angeles.
While Hope does not seem to have much vocal range, what she is able to do with this limited range is incredible. There is little, if any, difference in the sound of the albums Among My Swan and So Tonight that I Might See but it is hard to imagine ever tiring of Hope's breathy vocals singing poetic songs for which, in addition to singing, she also wrote most of the lyrics.
On a more superficial yet extremely pleasing level, is her ethereal beauty; as alluded to by other noders. I have only seen images of her in black and white and for some reason, I used to think she came from Eastern European ancestry but this is not the case, her parents were Mexican-American.