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 Drugdealer's 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 wasn't 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 DeMarco's studio, the resulting set welcomed musicians such as Video Age, CMON's 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-girlfriend's 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, Rovi

1		Madison
2		Baby
3		Someone to Love
4		Pictures of You
5		New Fascination
6		Valentine
7		To Live and Drive in LA
8		Hard Dreaming Man
9		Posse Cut

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