Spreading its wings over six deep and expressive tracks, Hallucinating Loss is not only cinematic in scope, but also in theme (the first song is called "Opening Scene."). Through darkness, sprawling, droning strings, and even ritualistic percussion, Hallucinating Loss spends its time wisely, using textures to expand boundaries and pull the listener along on this deep, evocative journey. From the heavy, distorted tones on "Opening Scene" all the way through to the ethereal and shimmering "Hallucinating Loss," Collins continues to add elements to the story without overcrowding, allowing every piece to exist in harmony with its brethren. While the arc of this tale seems to deal with death, nightmares, fear, and (presumably) loss of sanity, the pieces are composed and arranged in a way that this journey is completely open to the listener and the interpretation can change with subsequent spins. For example, the droning vocals on "Death Acquires a Different Meaning" morph between dreamlike and witchy, but perspective changes each time, and whichever is focused on becomes the more dominant tone. And while the album is arranged in a particular order, Hallucinating Loss also plays well and delivers a different message when this order is shuffled. It's not often that a piece such as this works as well out of intended order, but the songs here are well designed and very strong so they're able to reconstruct their own vibrant story when played in a random sequence.

 

Hallucinating Loss is a deep, dark, evocative album that embraces all the tenets of cinematic storytelling through well-composed and arranged pieces. Although recorded pre-pandemic, Collins' latest release captures the zeitgeist of a very wary world, one where traditions are being challenged, and mental health is becoming more of a global focus. No matter how you spin it, Hallucinating Loss is a gorgeous record and will work as well on this upcoming Halloween season as it will in a long, cold winter. To fall into the lush darkness of the album, set by here