Seven years have passed since Sarah McLachlan's last album, 2003's "Afterglow". In that seven years, her life...pretty much stayed the same. She had another child and successfully revived Lillith Fair, but these changes seem subtle and subdued considering how much could have changed in three years short of a decade. "Laws of Illusion", music, cover art, title and all, makes this point all to clear. It's just as soothing and as melodically sturdy as McLachlan's previous work, but it's also unsurprising to know that she doesn't forge new ground. In 2003, when other folk-pop artists like Jewel were still relevant, she was able to get away with it. But now at the turn of a new decade, with Lady Gaga and Rihanna making up the mainstream, there's only so far soothing and gentle can get her. That's not to say that "Laws of Illusion" is weak, because it isn't, but it's also not a triumphant return that it could've been, making the revival of Lillith Fair seem kind of unnecessary. Some may call that reliable, as McLachlan stays reliably engaging throughout "Laws of Illusion". Some may also call it predictable, and much of the album is by-the-books Sarah McLachlan, mixing new-age atmospheres with singer/songwriter-isms. Either way, "Laws of Illusion" ends up as fine, not horribly solemn, not too over-the-top, just another fine addition to McLachlan's catalog. In fact, the only misstep she made was saving "Bring on the Wonder" and the piano version of "Love Come" at the end of the album. The former is a lush, layered ballad that features of chorale of McLachlan's, much in the style of Enya. The latter is an acoustic remix of "Love Come", which appears in the middle of the record, but even though the two versions have the same title and lyrics, they are distinctly different songs. The piano version is the superior cut, as it's much for affecting that the original, and it, along with "Bring on the Wonder" also hint and what "Laws of Illusion" could have been. Maybe if Sarah would have stripped the arrangements bare, accessorize at will, and moved the songs outward, she could have created an entirely new sound. It's actually quite unfortunate, because while there are other great moments on "Illusion" --the opener "Awakenings" glides on a steady rock pulse, "U Want Me 2" captures McLachlan's mythos of love very consistently, and "Out of Tune" is a livelier, more refreshed concept of her earlier work-- it could have benefited greatly from any change of pace. The pacing, as charming as it is, is also too languid to interest the masses. More patient listeners will find rewards upon multiple spins, but the stiff nature of "Laws of Illusion" as a whole makes it a bit tough to find them. In the end, what's made perfectly clear is that McLachlan will never reach her mid-90s peak again, but she can still deliver her required load of tuneful, soft rock songs. And it's really hard to dismiss this album or McLachlan, as the beats are wider, the vocals are effectively soft, and the production is clean and new. This record doesn't offer anything significantly different from its predecessors, but it's still a good thing in this case.
Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Awakenings 2. Illusions of Bliss 3. Loving You is Easy
4. Changes 5. Forgiveness 6.
Rivers of Love
7. Love Come 8. Out of Tune 9.
Heartbreak
10. Don’t Give up on Us 11. U
Want Me 2 12. Bring on the Wonder
13. Love Come (Piano Version)
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