Jessy Lanza – Love Hallucination

Jessy Lanza's fourth studio album doubles down on the plush, velvety production of her DJ-Kicks comp from 2021. The dancefloor can still provide release, drama or solace, and there's often even less concern for distractions such as verses. 

Midnight Ontario is the clearest direct link which pairs two-step with 90s R'n'B, creating a smooth cocktail with tension bubbling just below the surface. Don't Leave Me Now is another with a pulsing beat and a clear demonstration of Lanza's growing confidence in her sound. Don't Cry On My Pillow is the first to utilise a repeated title ad nauseam, and here it works well wound around an intriguing synth line, and Drive plays like a relaxed companion to Caribou's Sun.

However, sometimes things merely seem bubbly and vaguely pleasant without having too much bite, like Limbo and I Hate Myself, and without much in the way of lyrics it can feel a little superficial. But a few wispy moments aside, there's a solid foundation of synthy techno-pop on Love Hallucination, as well as Lanza's greatest excursion yet in Marathon – a fizzing sex and sax romper that flows into the sultry, downtempo Double Time, a wonderful close to the album after a bit of a lull.

Listen to: Drive, Don't Leave Me Now, Marathon