Inspirational substances

It’s no secret that musicians, more than the average person, tend to have a proclivity for drug use. Whether that is a correlation or causation, I will not speculate. While drug use is sometimes a byproduct of a musician’s lifestyle, other times, it is the very inspiration for a musician’s work. Los Angeles-based musician Michael Collins, who has gone by many drug related monikers including Run DMT, Salvia Plath, and the Doobie Sisters, but is now going by the name, I kid you not, Drugdealer, has once again brought us into his psychedelic world with his new song “Suddenly.” Beginning with a simple singer/songwriter feel straight out of the 1970s, "Suddenly" features nothing but clean piano chords and featured vocalist Weyes Blood’s smooth, low voice softly singing of sudden realizations and open-mindedness.

Morphing into a slightly campy tune with cheerfully bouncing piano rhythms, a subtly funky bassline, soulful saxophone, groovy jabs of electric guitar and consistent percussion, “Suddenly” has an unmistakable air of psychedelic positivity. After a brief cessation of the more festive tone, the song breaks back into the expressions of relief and freedom, while Weyes Blood sings of being born again. Although the song’s lyrical content is extremely simple and straightforward, the message should not be lost – it is a joyful expression of the clear and positive patterns of thinking that are associated with psychedelic experiences. Michael Collins and Weyes Blood are able to create a musical cocoon, separating the listener from the physical world and allowing them to get lost in another, at peace.