Garrett Allen
Opinion Editor
L.A. based artist Michael Collins takes inspiration from all over the world as he blends early-70’s musical stylings with modern alternative rock.
After the success from his last album, “The End of Comedy,” Collins, whose professional name is Drugdealer, has been working on projects all over the scene since 2013. He is known for his smooth lyrics and interesting blends, and this album displays these aspects in the best ways.
“Raw Honey” was released on April 19 by Mexican Summer. Working with many different collaborators, such as Josh Da Costa and Michael Long, Collins successfully shows his musical mastery throughout the album’s 9 tracks.
With a talented group of eight, the collaborators are versatile in their music. Experts in the art, Collins and his team carefully navigate through the challenges that come with each song to deliver a sonically pleasing piece.
The album features an exceptional selection of singers to complete some of the songs. With country balladier Dougie Poole in the track “Wild Motion,” and the silky sounding Harley Hill-Richmond contributing his voice to the song “Lonely,” Collins’ vision is clearly fulfilled.
Although the album is intentionally produced with a mellow atmosphere, listeners shouldn’t let the breezy-sounding tracks lead them to believe Collins’ didn’t work hard on each song. With picture-perfect string swells and original synth keyboard sounds, each song is heavily labored over.
While the album excels in its production quality, the real magic of the album is captured within Collins’ originality. Although the idea of blending sounds from different eras seems inherently unoriginal, Collins’ work is actually quite refreshing. His reintroduction of the 70’s into modern music only aids the album’s unique vision.
Even though fans were forced to wait, the album’s collection of authentic songs about self-discovery and understanding proves that Collins’ hard work paid off. A strong second album as Drugdealer, Collins’ album is a testament to the musical genius he is becoming.
The album is available on all major streaming services including Apple Music and Spotify and is available for purchase on iTunes for $11.99.
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