ENYA - WATERMARK

I discovered Enya almost by chance. Of course now she's a household name. But back when this groundbreaking album came out, she was still a nobody. I used to troll music video programs on TV to find new groups. I remember seeing the video for 'Orinoco Flow'. It reminded me of the music I'd heard on a movie I'd recently fell in love with. The movie was "I've Heard The Mermaids Singing" and all of a sudden, a chord was struck. I bought the cassette on the same day I picked up the spoken word poetry and music cassette from the "Beauty And The Beast" television series as performed by Ron Perlman. Both cassettes were completely enchanting. They swept me away. Even now, years later when I listen to this disc, I can hear the lines of poetry by Rilke, Shakespear and Wordsworth...

From the opening piano of 'Watermark', you get a sense something important is happening. At this point in time, Enya was discovering a sound uniquely her own. The expansive potential showcased in this release promises something Enya never delivered. Like many artists, once she found a successful style, she continued to emulate it over and over again on subsequent releases. On this record, though, she touches on so many classical, operatic and symphonic material, one could believe they were witnessing the birth of the modern age of classical music. 'Cursam Perficio' has all the tension and force of a Faustian Opera. She vocally stomps across the tense music, swelling up and down notes like oceans sweeping across beaches.

After the build and ebb of that, 'On Your Shore' sounds as sweet and lovely as a bonny young Irish lass singing a haunting love song for her parted betrothed. 'Storms In Africa' is my favorite track on this album. It has a deep sound and the tolling bell is a brilliant addition to the track. There's some heavy sounding percussion on this track. Although probably not the most accessible of the album's numbers, it's still compelling. Other mentionable tracks include the single, 'Orinoco Flow' and 'When The Evening Falls...'. You can listen to this record all the way through and it will move from one magical moment to the next.

Still, it sets a precedent she was never able to capitalize on. She never became the amalgam of sound other artists have achieved. You hear bits and pieces of musical styles, but they're never fully incorporated in a truly innovative way. She has created a recipe for beauty in her music, but I feel like she's never moved beyond it.

This will forever be my favorite Enya CD. And I will continue to buy her music because I do enjoy it. It's lovely and wonderful. You can play it anywhere and let it go. In film scores and scenes, her sound evokes emotional response. But this particular disc has so many memories tied up in it, I can't avoid an emotional attachment. And I suspect, record sales and the opinion of most people will agree with me. My final word: AN 80'S CLASSIC!

ENYA - WATERMARK
01. Watermark
02. Cursum Perficio
03. On Your Shore
04. Storms In Africa
05. Exile
06. Miss Clare Remembers
07. Orinoco Flow
08. Evening Falls...
09. River
10. The Long Ships
11. Na Laetha geal M'oige
12. Storms In Africa II