Hallucinating Love

Maribou State’s Hallucinating Love feels like coming home after a long trip—it’s familiar, warm, and exactly what you’d expect, but with just enough new details to make you notice the little things. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, but that’s the charm. Instead of chasing trends or forcing big, attention-grabbing moments, the duo leans into their strengths, refining their sound rather than overhauling it. And with longtime collaborator Holly Walker back in the mix, it all feels like a full-circle moment.

Right off the bat, “Blackoak” sets the tone. It’s classic Maribou State—patient, textured, and quietly confident. The guitars are subtle, the synths are straightforward, and the melodies are hypnotic. It doesn’t demand attention so much as it slowly wraps itself around you, which is a theme for the whole album.

Then comes “Bloom,” a track that somehow manages to be both stripped back and expansive at the same time. There’s nothing overly complicated about it, but that’s what makes it stick. It’s the kind of song that sneaks up on you—one minute it’s background music, the next you’re humming it for the rest of the day. The duo follows this with “All I Need,” a track that has that signature Moby-esque melancholic energy, before shifting gears into “Dance on the World,” which feels like a much-needed burst of movement. The transition is seamless, taking you from introspection to pure motion without losing the album’s cohesion.

There are plenty of callbacks to their earlier work too, like how “Dance on the World” carries the same infectious energy as “Turnmills” from Kingdoms in Colour. It’s a reminder that Maribou State knows exactly what they’re good at. They’re not here to prove anything anymore. Instead, they let songs like “Peace Talk” unfold naturally, building from delicate strings into a full-blown guitar jam that somehow feels both unexpected and inevitable.

After that emotional high, “Passing Clouds” gives you a breather. True to its name, it drifts by like a lazy afternoon sky-gazing session. These softer moments—simple, spacious, and subtly detailed—give the album its heart. It’s not about delivering bangers; it’s about creating a world you want to sink into.

By the time you reach “Rolling Stone,” you’re not expecting a grand finale, and that’s exactly the point. It’s wandering but purposeful, like a long drive with no set destination. Instead of a climactic moment, it gives you an ending that feels natural, like exhaling after a deep breath.

Hallucinating Love isn’t trying to be groundbreaking, and that’s what makes it work. It’s an album that invites you to just be—to let the music wash over you without overanalyzing it. Maribou State might not be breaking new ground, but they’re fine-tuning what they do best. And honestly, that’s more than enough.

MARIBOU STATE - HALLUCINATING LOVE
RATING - 8.1/10

FAVORITE TRACK - Blackoak

GENRE - Dance, Electronic, Indie, Pop