LOI Album Thoughts/Opinions

[TheSquirrel]

Thanks for the info Migs. My priority is to get the deluxe thing so I am hoping it's going to be the same as the Canadian and US releases. My god, she finally did it. It should be good too. It took Michelangelo five years to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and she only had to write 10 songs in 7 years. Now I'm looking forward to getting the album. Love to be in on the Nettwork meeting "Nice album. Here you are dear, have a nice cup of tea and we'll see you again in seven years."

[Jessel]

The only negative (which no one is going to agree with) is that her voice is getting weaker with age, but the songwriting is still there.

No arguments there. It's a scientifically-proven fact.

[OzFumbler]

I am absoluetly blown away by Awakenings...for me it's the best track on the album
- the time signatures, the bassline, the sudden minor keys in the chorus - my god
it's so awesome, so epic and dark - I don't think I've ever heard anything like this
by her before - This is an artist at the top of her game. it's an absolute masterpiece.

[TheSquirrel]

Awakenings is my favourite track. It's a cracker. I like llusions too.

3. Loving You Is easy - The first McLachlan track I actively hate. It's so poppy and boppy it makes me want to punch someone in the face.

4 and 6. Changes and Rivers Of Love. Sounds like filler material to me. I also dislike the production on these. It sounds cliched and I dislike it mainly because it feels like it's there just to cover up sub standard material.

5. Forgiveness - I quite like it but the lyrics annoy me. They can't possibly be about Ash, just like all the other tracks on the album can't be about him. Ash was her one rock. While she acted in a terrible way, almost losing her mind, shouting at him and attacking him, this giant of a man was there with his upturned smiling face to bear the enormous weight of a cracking relationship on his enormous shoulders. If not for the most wonderful husband in the world she would have fallen apart years ago. At least that's what she kept telling us every night of the tour, so I just can't imagine who the songs are about. Some imaginary bounder I suppose.

7. Love Come - A pleasant song a little reminiscent of Train Wreck.

8. Out Of Tune - I think it's already been compared to World On Fire. I really like this one.

9. Heartbreak - Catchy, poppy, and MOR, but unlike LYIE I like it.

10 and 11 - Recycled.

12. Bring On The Wonder - It reminds me of Full Of Grace/Fall From Grace with a touch of Touch crossed with Wintersong. Have a feeling this could replace Angel as the encore or finale. Nice song.

I like the album about as half as much as I do Afterglow, which means I like it. She just doesn't move me the way she used to. Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's her. Just taste I suppose. I listened to Touch a few evenings ago and it still sounded glorious. For me there is something missing, but some of the tracks are very good. Awakenings and Out Of Tune are currently my favourites.

[TheSquirrel]

This was an accidental duplicate of the above post, but since it's here I thought I might add that with Awakenings it's as though she's trying to really go for it and escape the sound that is currently Sarah McLachlan. Glorious sound and production to go with a great song. It does remind me of Back Door Man. I wish she could just attack more and go for some real feeling. That sounds terrible considering who I am talking about. It's just it all sounds so contrived, cliched and over done, until all the wrinkles are ironed out along with all the emotion. Okay, maybe it's just me.

[OzFumbler]

Awakenings is a massive f?$k you to people who think she can't rock
out cos this totally does - i'm sure drummer Matt Chamberlain had
a word with her and said dude let's do something that rocks hard.
This song is a towering epic of twisting, tumbling and spinning
music. My only complaint with the song is that it ends abruptly - I wanted
it to go on for another verse/chorus!!
This is outstanding progressive rock bordering on metal - I liken it to artists
such as Porcupine Tree (wicked UK Prog band) and Aussie rockers Karnivool -
just listen to how it soars and dives in offbeat places - I think it's the best
song she's ever written. The rest of the record feels like an anti climax after this.

[TheSquirrel]

I have to agree. She has the voice to be able to rock, but rarely does. It's a shame because when she does she can really let rip. Oh if only the rest, or at least part of the album could have the shackles off. When I first heard Awakenings I thought WOW. I haven't changed my mind. It's my favourite so far. The others could grow on me, but that one grabbed me. The rest of the album hasn't grabbed me like that yet.

[Miguel]

I mentioned in my first post how I think Love Come (album) was a little restrained musically. Love Come and Out of Tune could've been much like Awakenings if she told the guys to rock out as much as they can. I'm not bothered that it didn't happen

I agree with you Oz and Squirrel, Awakenings is such a perfect album opener. I'm just happy Sarah is back and delivered the goods

[Jessel]

Awakenings is a massive f?$k you
to people who think she can't rock
out cos this totally does...

I believe she's even influenced by heavy metal/punk in her teenage years, though on a much more distant level. And yes, she can rock very well. Her earliest live recordings ca. 1989-92/93 proves that; especially whenever she performs Steaming, Black, & Back Door Man to name a few. But it's understandable that most people doubt it since she later acquired/developed a reputation as a silver-tongued chanteuse who prefers to sing sad yet compelling ballads.

[Pollyanna]

I really like the album. Which is unusual because normally a new album by someone always disappoints me and then grows to become one of my favourits a few months later. But lets go through the tracks:

Awakenings: A great song. Sounds a lot like something Snow Patrol could do, with a bit of Alanis Morissette added. I wish she would do more like that. I know some people who'd love that track but wouldn't be thrilled by the rest of LOI. Anyway - a much better attempt to do something edgier than 'Stupid' on Afterglow. 5/5

Illusions Of Bliss: I must go back to that track more often, I guess. It is a good song and probably just suffers from the fact that it follows Awakenings. 3/5

Loving You Is Easy: I guess you need to be in her situation to like that song. Since I have crush one someone right now I can see where she's coming from but I really think you need to experience that uncomplicated love in order to fully understand the song's beauty. 4/5

Changes: I see the similarities with Drifting - although I prefer Drifting. Still a very beautiful track, I prefer it over Illusions of Bliss - the two songs that somehow had the least effect on me during the first listenings. 3/5

Forgiveness: One of my favourits, it's so devastating lyrically paired with a gorgeous production. I just love how it starts of as a quite piano-track and then builds up in such an epic way for the last chorus. Awesome. 5/5

Rivers Of Love: A nice track but so far not a stand-out track for me. I love the idea of a love-song to yourself but it feels a little odd that she says most of the lyrics have been written by Pierre. In fact, I think it's a little weird to see how much Pierre was obviously involved in writing lyrics on a record that is probably one of her most personal. But it is different and the guitars sound great. 4/5

Love Come: Another of my favourits, iw as already mesmerized by the sample on amazon and no having the song in full I'm glad it turned out to be as beautiful as I hoped it would be. I love the production, especially the last part. The last few piano-chords are also very effective. they tell that this is not a happy song. But a forgiving one. 5/5

Out Of Tune: I love that song. i don't know why but I really do. I can't say anything else about that track, though 5/5

Heartbreak: This one would have profited from a little more edge I'd say, I realized that when I watched the audience reaction during that TV-performance. If it was a little heavier, people would probably react stronger to it. 4/5

Don't Give Up On Us: A great song - I really liked that one when I first heard it. I won't rate it though since it is recycled and doesn't really fir on the record production-wise.

U Want Me 2: Another beautiful track - but again recycled.

Bring On The Wonder: Totally different from the Susan Enan-version which I prefer. I just wished the whole song would be as the second verse and chorus. I love the chorals and overlayered vocals, but I feel the verses would have sounded better without them. Still a great and sad track - I understand it differently that it is probably meant to be understood but my interpretation really fits certain recent situations - therefore: 5/5

One Dream: It's sad that this song didn't make the physical copy of the record while DGUOU and UWM2 did. I loved One Dream from the start and since it is part of the amazon-download-bundle I'll include it here - 5/5

Love Come (Acoustic): I'm so glad they added the strings and keyboards to the sole piano-performance from the DVD - I love that particular part. 5/5

Overall: 4,41/5

What I want to point out as a last aspect is the production. The biggest flaw with Afterglow was the production. I love every single song on this record but with the exception of Stupid and Time I feel that every other song sounds so much better on Afterglow live - especially Answer and Push are completely ruined but the overproduction on Afterglow. The stripped-down live-performances worked so much better. This is why I never listen to the studio-record but always to the live-album. This time, though, the production is outstanding, probably due to the fact that it was recorded live of the floor.