Sarah McLachlan - Laws of Illusion
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 at 11:41AM 
For her first studio album since 2003's Afterglow, Sarah McLachlan partners again with longtime producer and collaborator Pierre Marchand for Laws of Illusion, a collection of new songs that are earmarked with the traditional McLachlan style: sweeping piano-based melodies set above a rich instrumental background that -- if conceivable -- sound even more luxuriant than previously. Much has happened with McLachlan personally since she last stepped foot in the studio -- the birth of her second child,the dissolution of her eleven-year marriage -- but here we are again as if nothing had changed: a new album, a revived, decidedly more massive Lilith Fair concert series this summer and that remarkable McLachlan voice telling tales of love and life.
"Sadness is painful. Growth is painful," McLachlan reflects. "It's the process of being re-born and that's where you grow and change. That's the stuff that I work toward. In my darkest days, I would tell myself, "This is good. I am growing from this and I am learning from this and I will be better because of what is happening." Lead single "Loving You Is Easy", a self-described "happy song", is a upbeat serving of spangled, Beatle-ish piano pop. "It’s been a roller coaster these last few years for sure,” she says. “A lot of emotional highs and lows. I did get a taste of finding love again, which is certainly what this song is all about. The delirious, overwhelming flush of new possibilities." Look for a deluxe version of Illusion that features a 30-minute in-studio "making of" DVD. TV appearances after the jump.
Sarah McLachlan - "Loving You Is Easy" (from The Laws of Illusion)
5/20 - Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno
5/21 - The Late, Late Show w/ Craig Ferguson
6/8 - Late Show with David Letterman
6/10 - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
6/11 - Good Morning America Summer Concert Series
6/12 - Good Morning America Weekend
6/14 - Live with Regis & Kelly
6/15 - Entertainment Tonight
6/18 - ABC Nightline
Reader Comments (2)
I love your review. The artwork in Laws of Illusion is so stunning! And yes, I agree that this CD is "if conceivable ... even more luxuriant" then previous albums. I wrote a review of it on my blog the other day (yes, late I know - but I have to absorb these things. Lol) and I was comparing Laws of Illusion to Mirrorball in that it's got this gritty passion and feminine angst that I missed in Afterglow.
It is unfortunately that the Lilith Fair tour had to be downsized so much. The one here in Houston was canceled, and I was auditioning to perform at it! Bummer.