Hiding in Plain Sight＜Colored Vinyl＞

LAのサイケデリック・シーンで活動するマイケル・コリンズによるプロジェクト、ドラッグディーラー。70年代のローレル・キャニオンのサウンドを想起させるクラシックなモダン・ポップ鳴らす彼らが、3年半振り、自身3枚目となるアルバム『ハイディング・イン・プレイン・サイト』をメキシカン・サマーよりリリース。

Michael Collinsによるプロジェクト、Drugdealerは、Mexican Summerよりニュー・アルバム『Hiding In Plain Sight』をリリースする。3年半振り、自身3枚目となる当作には、自身の声に不満を持ち、不安を抱えていたCollinsが、周囲の人々に愛を見いだし、それを歌う声を手に入れるまでの軌跡を凝縮。
Tim Presley(White Fence)、KateBollinger、Bambina、Sasha Winn、Sean Nicholas Savage、Video Age、John Carroll Kirby等をゲストとしてフィーチャーしている。様々なプロジェクトで活動していたMichael Collinsは、Harry NilssonやSteely Danといったソフト・ロックのパイオニアの影響下、初期70年代のシンガーソングライター的なサウンドを追求する為、Drugdealerをスタート。2016年には、Weyes BloodやAriel Pinkがゲストとして参加したデビュー・アルバム『The End OfComedy』を、Domino傘下のWeird Worldよりリリース。2019年4月には、同じくWeyes BloodやLemon Twigsがゲストとして参加したセカンド・アルバム『Raw Honey』をMexican Summerよりリリースした。

A long-running member of L.A.s psychedelic music scene, Michael Collins continues to turn his attention to the 70s soft rock of Steely Dan and sophisticated singer/songwriter pop of artists like Harry Nilsson for inspiration on Drugdealers third album, Hiding in Plain Sight. While the relaxed feel of prior albums remains, the background of Hiding in Plain Sight includes some interesting footnotes. Firstly, much of it was written while stuck at home in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, with Collins ultimately returning to a motivational theme of the search for love. Secondly, Collins, who often employs guest singers, got a technical note from none other than avant-garde musician Annette Peacock when the two met at a music festival: namely, he wasnt singing high enough for his speaking voice. This tip found Collins coming up with new progressions to accommodate a different range (the modulation can be heard as early as opening track "Madison"). Despite working alone at first and having a newfound confidence in his own voice, he still brought in singers including Tim Presley ("Baby") and Kate Bollinger ("Pictures of You") when it came time to record. In fact, the process was as collaborative as ever. Tracked in nine different locations, including Collins home and Mac DeMarcos studio, the resulting set welcomed musicians such as Video Age, CMONs Josh Da Costa, and John Carroll Kirby (Frank Ocean, the Avalanches) into the Drugdealer fold. The romantic Presley feature "Baby" has coastal 60s vibes that are in turn invigorated by saxophones and cymbals and mellowed with the help of flutes. Collins himself evokes Van Morrison on performances including the starry-eyed and compassionate "Someone to Love," but later more closely approaches Donald Fagan on the smoothly double-tracked "Valentine," a song he wrote about seeing his soon-to-be-girlfriends band for the first time. The more cautionary closer "Posse Cut" plays out more like a studio jam in the smooth-funk realm, with a trio of guest singers in Bambina, Sedona, and Sean Nicholas Savage. Through its rounded twists and turns and overriding affection, Hiding in Plain Sight ultimately represents another enjoyable entry in the Drugdealer chronicles. ~ Marcy Donelson