Sarah McLachlan's debut album, the 1989 release "Touch," confirms my working hypothesis that the best artists do not make a giant splash with a debut album who critical and popular success is never again equalled, but instead offer up a first album that showcases a distinctive sound and evidences musical talent. McLachlan was only 19 when the album was recorded, yet she was already showing a sense of maturity well beyond the current crop of singing Lolitas that are strutting themselves in music vidoes.

If you had to hang on label on McLachlan at this point in her career it would be a young Kate Bush (a reference that is hopefully not lost on everybody). In addition to writing and singing the songs, McLachlan plays several types of guitars, piano and keyboards, and also does teh cover design and photo tinting. However, her producer at this point is Greg Reely and not Pierre Marchand, which probably is why this album does not sound like the McLachlan from the rest of her albums, with Reely overlaying her vocals with lots of lush keyboards. This is why the piano ballad "Ben's Song" stands out so much on this album; its simplicitly is in stark contrast to the rest of the tracks.

My encounter with Sarah McLachlan came in the summer of 2004. I'd heard her music before but didn't really think of listening to any of her music, until I watched the final episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Season 2, "Becoming Part 2." The overwhelming emotion of that episode combined with Sarah's "Full Of Grace" made me buy two of her albums, "Solace" and "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy." I was so glad I did because those are both two amazing, beautiful recordings. For Christmas I also got "Touch," "Surfacing" and "Afterglow." Whilst I regard the latter two to be the best, "Touch" is also a noteworthy debut and should not be dismissed as it is by some fans.

Released in 1989, Touch was a relatively obscure debut from the talented McLachlan. She wasn't a well known singer and this album didn't exactly set the charts alight, but the promise was there. This album, more than anything, showcases a blossoming talent that was in the early stages of blooming - a blossom that wouldn't be fully realised until two albums later. Solace was a big step forward from this debut, which she took further and finally blossomed on Fumbling Towards Ecstasy. It's interesting, however, to see the development of her confidence in her music from such an early stage.

The album opens with the beautiful "Out Of The Shadows." This song has soft percussion and gentle, swaying vocals from Sarah. The way she sings the lyrics is very memorable and a great way to open the album. I am also very fond of the long, mournful wails in the background that seem to echo over the hills. A very beautiful and atmospheric composition. "Vox" is an amazing song and definitely one of my favourite Sarah McLachlan songs ever! It's just a fun, upbeat pop number with a very cheerful chorus and a beautiful section where Sarah wails with her excellent voice which seems capable of anything. "Strange World" is a rather strange song where Sarah is joined by a male vocalist. Together they sing of this strange world which creates an ominous feeling of something yet to come. "Trust" opens beautifully before breaking out with a slamming drum break. The guitars are in full effect here, and whilst it's hardly a heavy metal song it's rather more rocky than anything else on the album. The chorus changes this, however, as the piano lightens things up.

"Touch" reminds me a bit of an Enya song because there's not much actual singing in this song, but more wailing and Operatic-vocals. It's not really one of my favourite songs, so it's a good thing when the next song starts. "Steaming" has a very strong beat to it, with some very memorable lyrics in its chorus, "All the way my love. Over the hills I'll ride on through you." It's not the actual lyrics, but the way in which they are arranged, which creates a very sweet melody. Overall, this is one of the album's best songs. "Sad Clown" is another one of my favourites, yet the focus is more on the music rather than Sarah's voice. The intro is rather dramatic with a little bit of everything and some subdued strings adding a great atmosphere to the song. "Uphill Battle" is a good song but not one of the best on the album. It creates a feeling of loneliness and sadness whenever I listen to it. Again, there's no singing here, but it is a nice instrumental piece. Some might see it as a pointless waste of album time at nearly 5 minutes long, but I actually regard it as a strong piece on the album. "Ben's Song" is the last song on the album and is so strong because it is the only true ballad. All the other songs border on mid-tempo, 'safe' pop songs, but this is truly something different. "Vox (Extended)" is a bit of a disappointment in my opinion. I don't think there was anything wrong with the original and this version is pretty rubbish. Also, it's nearly seven minutes long which I think is too long!

OVERALL GRADE: 7/10

I experience a similar feeling whenever I listen to a Sarah McLachlan album: a feeling of pure beauty and content. It doesn't matter which album it is, because her voice is so versatile. She can sing anything (as witnessed by the 2000's UK dance smash hit "Silence" by Delerium which she sung the vocals for) and this album shows a natural early start to a beautiful music career that would blossom and still hold up even 15 years after its release. The woman has longevity and will be going strong for years to come.

Sarah McLachlan's debut "Touch" is a whimsical and ethereal one. This was the first time she composed full-length songs (and what a great start). In comparison to Sarah's later works, "Touch" is a far cry from them. However, this album does have its strong points. Her voice is beautiful and she shows some superb guitar playing. The lyrics are confusing yet show a young woman trying to find her place in the world. Any teenager with an open mind could relate to this record. "Out of the Shadows" and "Vox" are beautiful songs and I wish Sarah would give them more attention. If you love Sarah McLachlan and are aware that she has more albums than "Surfacing", this album will surely satisfy you.

Unlike many of the other reviewers, this is the first Sarah Mclachlan album that I heard, it was in 1990. I happen to like this CD the most of any of her CD's. There is no song that I feel compelled to skip through. Yes, it doesn't sound like her other CD's and there is nothing wrong with that. I would give very few CD's a five rating. This one gets one because:

1) Every song is easily listenable.

2) You can listen to this CD many times, not get bored and hear new things.

Music is a matter of presonal taste and this fits mine.Consider this CD on its own not in comparison with her other CD's.

Don't get me wrong - Touch is a wonderful album. Really. It is. But it's also a first album - the first ever recorded by a (then 20-year-old) Sarah McLachlan. So though it's great, it's clear that with Touch, McLachlan hadn't yet realized her full potential, either as a musician, or a lyricist. And there IS also the fact that the album was made in the '80s, which gives some of these songs a decidedly dated feel. Yet, though the album lacks the lyrical complexity and emotional depth of McLachlan's later albums, and has some decidedly "'80s-ish" songs on it, Touch DOES have a lot to offer. "Ben's Song" is a beautiful ballad, with lovely vocals, and haunting, heartfelt lyrics. "Vox" and "Steaming" are catchy dance tunes which WILL play in your head 24-7 after you listen to them - but trust me, they're so good, you won't mind :) And of course, the whole album boasts McLachlan's beautiful voice, and her amazing work on guitar and piano. Yet, in my opinion, Touch would probably be best enjoyed by hard-core Sarah fans, and also by those who enjoy '80s music. Touch is so different from Sarah's other albums that liking her later albums isn't really a guarantee that you'll like Touch. But if you absolutely love Sarah, and can't get enough of her amazing voice, then Touch is a must.