Sarah McLachlan "Laws of Illusion"

                The Laws of Illusion are as follows: take a seven year hiatus between regular albums, and release a winter-themed album in between; take four years after said album to make it seem as if one is toiling over creating something immaculate; release a single that hints that her art has not lost bite, and make some changes to seem as if it is something new.  These ‘Awakenings’ seem to be occurring to me on first song; I thought I was dreaming when I heard something that may appeal to fans of post-hardcore, but with a more mainstream filter; slight buzzkill to the energy that could be released. These are not ‘Illusions of Bliss’ that I hear, but a sound that seems familiar: that acoustic strumming at the start and beautiful uplifting harmonies throughout; nothing new, but I still would like to sing along. ‘Loving You is Easy,” but the question is whether it is the piano or the rhythm that accompanies it. Her Voice? That doesn’t count. So she made slight ‘changes’ to another one of her songs, like context and adding a theramin, and it is supposed to be new? Yes, but why do I think of Halloween? This next song is one about heartbreak, an attempt at redemption and ‘Forgiveness’ which she proclaims to her ex that “you don’t know much about heaven boy/If you have to hurt to feel.” These “Rivers of Love’ seem as if they freeze easily because they sound best on one of those gloomy winter days (past holiday) after work; meeting a friend or two for a drink. ‘Love Come’ easy for this tune with its new-age atmospherics and solace. Either my mind is ‘Out of Tune,’ or I just cannot figure out how it makes me feel, or why I feel that way; confused, but I like it! What sounds like ragtime piano, in a U2 context, introduces us to a song about one of the most common known fractures in the world, ‘Heartbreak,’ yet time is the only thing that can heal it. ‘Don’t Give Up on Us’ teeters between slight desperation and tragic empathy; you want them to know that you care without having them worry they’re your obsession. 'You Want Me 2’ state the obvious? We have already heard this song, and its quality would be wasted if it were solely a retrospective compilation cut. The next song does ‘Bring on the Wonder’ for me; those haunting harmonies in a friendlier filter. Awakenings, Loving You is Easy, Changes, Rivers of Love, Love Come, Out of Tune, and Bring on the Wonder.