Sarah McLachlan: Laws of Illusion Review and Giveaway

Thanks to the One2One Network, I recently got a chance to listen to Sarah McLachlan's new album Laws of Illusion.

“Loving You Is Easy,” the first single from the album, is an upbeat, almost jaunty piano–based song, with a musical atmosphere perfectly matched to lyrics that describe the heady thrill of new love: “I’m alive and I’m on fire/Shot like a starburst into the sky…”

For many listeners, “Forgiveness” will be the centerpiece of Laws of Illusion. There is a wonderful subtlety in the arrangement, which builds inexorably from unaccompanied vocal–and–piano showcase to the layers of near–ambient guitar parts and finally a powerful coda completed by bass and drums. “Forgiveness,” says Sarah, “is about the loss of a relationship and drawing a line in the sand, saying: This is not good for me and I can’t do it anymore...”

Coupled with the release of Laws of Illusion comes another landmark event in Sarah McLachlan’s career: her return to Lilith Fair, the all–female concert tour she founded in 1997 and where once again she’ll headline the main stage.

“Being a part of Lilith Fair was inspiring on so many levels,” says Sarah. “Besides discovering new music everyday and sharing the stage with an incredible array of talented women, it was wonderful to see established and new artists alike have the opportunity to play in front of much larger or more diverse audiences than usual...”

“This summer,” Sarah promises, “is gonna be full on and fun.”

TRACKLISTING
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

McLachlan has such a pretty, soothing voice, and her songs on Laws of Illusion are thoughtful and meaningful.

My favorite track on Laws of Illusion is Loving You is Easy. It's such a feel-good, happy song. The lyrics just make me smile: You light me up you take me higher/Loving you is easy/ Loving you is wondrous and pure/I shout it from the rooftops/How long must I wait 'till I see your smile?

I also really enjoyed Out of Tune. It's such a deep, emotional song: It isn't my heart that's grown cold/The same mistakes are getting old/I'm lost for words I don't know what to do/But when I'm lying here with you/And the whole world's out of tune/You're the one and only voice that makes things right/So stay with me tonight.

Some of my other favorites included U Want Me 2 and Heartbreak.

For McLachlan fans, it's been too long since she released an album with new songs--seven years, but the wait is over, and this album does not disappoint. Her songs roam a range of emotions--from the elation of love to heartbreak, and we all can relate to her songs on one level or another.

Her beautiful voice, the insightful lyrics, and the music all come together to create, what I think, is a really great CD.

Shop: You can purchase Sarah McLachlan: Laws of Illusion on Amazon.com and at various other retailers online and nationwide (ARV $13.99).

Win: One lucky winner will receive a copy of Sarah McLachlan: Laws of Illusion.

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to Hotsnotty2!

• To enter, visit Sarah McLachlan, listen to the sample tracks from Laws of Illusion, and comment on your favorite track.
• You’ll get one extra entry each if you do any of the following (be sure to leave a comment for each “entry”):
• 1)Blog about this giveaway and link back to Sage and Savvy and Sarah McLachlan: Laws of Illusion (leave the link in your comment)
• 2)Subscribe to my feed
• 3)Add my button to your sidebar
• 4)Follow me on Twitter (leave your Twitter name in your comment)
• 5)Tweet this giveaway (leave the link in your comment)
• The deadline for entries is June 28, 2010 11:59pm HST.
• If you submitted an eligible entry and it is chosen by random.org as the winner, you will be notified via email on June 29, 2010 (make sure your email address is in your profile or comment and be sure to check your junk/spam, etc. folders) and will have 3 days to accept.
• Valid for US addresses only.
• By entering in this giveaway, you have read and agreed to Sage and Savvy’s policies regarding giveaways.
  

Good luck!

Thank you to One2One Network and Arista Records for providing the product(s) for review and/or giveaway free of charge. All opinions are my own. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

12:00 AM Posted in: CDs,giveaways,reviews
Gem is a Hawaii Mom Blogger who posts reviews and giveaways, and blogs about life in Hawaii as a mom of 3 boys, including one with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. She loves to travel, bake, and eat anything with chocolate.