A$# 021 Sarah McLachlan | Touch

She's become a major figure on the music scene, but when Sarah McLachlan released Touch her first album, in 1988, she showed a lot of promise of her burgeoning talent. Note: The version of Touch that I know is the 1989 international CD release - same songs, but new mixes.

The cuts have been described as more etheral and earthy than her later stuff. In his review at allmusic.com, Bradley Torreano says "Bringing to mind the '80s incarnations of both Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush, the songs here are moody pop tracks that showcase her incredible range more than anything else...

"Her performance is the point where this is most obvious, as her gorgeous voice lacks most of the personality and emotion that she would later develop. But the material isn't bad, just uncharacteristic of the rest of her career. Some fans might be disappointed by the copious amounts of keyboards and McLachlan's restrained performance, but Touch is still a winner. Just a flawed winner, coming from a talented artist who was still searching for her artistic voice."

Standout tracks for me are Vox, Out Of The Shadows, Touch and Ben's Song.


Track listing:
1. Out Of The Shadows
2. Vox
3. Strange World
4. Trust
5. Touch
6. Steaming
7. Sad Clown
8. Uphill Battle
9. Ben's Song
10. Vox (Extended)