Sarah McLachlan

Sarah McLachlan – Touch (1988) [Audio Fidelity 2013]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 47:40 minutes | Scans included | 1,93 MB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Scans included | 972 MB
Mastered by Kevin Gray | Audio Fidelity # AFZ-141

A largely forgotten album in the wake of Sarah McLachlan’s mainstream success, Touch was the first album anyone heard from the singer. Only 19 at the time, McLachlan had years to go before she would become the seductive songstress of Fumbling Towards Ecstacy or the sensitive balladeer of Surfacing. Instead, she has more of an ethereal sound, enhanced by keyboards and a lush production that gives it a polished feel. 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. A few tracks, especially “Vox” and “Steaming,” are beautiful tracks that have a light sense of yearning that she would later develop into the sensual crooning of her mid-’90s work. And “Ben’s Song,” a piano ballad, would go on to be included in her live shows long after the other tracks from this album disappeared from them. But Touch is vastly different from the rest of her material (save for maybe a few tracks on Solace), making it a surprise to most curious fans. 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.

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Sarah McLachlan – Solace (1991) [APO Remaster 2015]
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 48:14 minutes | Scans included | 1,94 GB
or FLAC(converted with foobar2000 to tracks) 24bit/88,2 kHz | Full Scans included | 900 MB

Solace is at once comforting, mysterious, expansive, timeless, and familiar. The sophomore jinx was certainly eluded here, as McLachlan sets forth a superior collection of songs and performances with the help of longtime producer Pierre Marchand. The opening track, “Drawn to the Rhythm,” serves its title well and does the job of luring you in. Intelligent, intriguing lyrics and lilting melodies abound, whether amidst the pulsing rhythms of “Into the Fire” and “Back Door Man” or the quietly profound stories of “Home” and “Shelter.” Although pretty much all of the tunes will grab you at one point or another, “The Path of Thorns (Terms)” and “I Will Not Forget You” are especially memorable, the latter not to be confused with McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You,” which appears on the 1995 soundtrack for The Brothers McMullen. Solace is a wonderful record that offers a glimpse of the astounding talent of a young Sarah McLachlan.

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