Something extraordinary is happening in the world of Touchstone. The English band, whose last album, Discordant Dreams, had me excitedly writing in my review, ‘it commands your attention throughout whilst providing moments of sublime beauty’, have succeeded in something that I thought would be hard, if not impossible, to achieve.
Their second album Wintercoast, has somehow managed to take the music of Touchstone up onto an even higher plain. When you consider how highly they set that level, then you can see what a spellbinding achievement Wintercoast is.
Firstly though, we need a quick recap. Touchstone is a five-piece band, formed in 2003, by the combined vision of keyboard playing vocalist Rob Cottingham and highly talented guitarist Adam Hodgson. In 2006 they added bass player Paul Moorghen, and the following year drummer Al Melville. When Kim Seviour joined and added her vocals she completed the picture.
Kim’s addition proved pivotal with her captivating voice blending superbly with that of Rob’s. Together they produce what is now the trademark Touchstone sound. That sound first emerged on Discordant Dreams an album that certainly attracted a lot of attention.
As is often the case when the expectations are running high I approached my first playing of Wintercoast with some trepidation. I need not have worried. From the opening section, a spoken introduction by none other than Oscar winning actor Jeremy Irons, I was totally locked in, absorbed, and lost within the many pleasures this albums holds.
Wintercoast was, like its predecessor, mixed by both John Mitchell of It Bites, Frost*, Arena and Tim Turan who has worked with Motorhead, and Marilyn Manson, as well as Frost*.
In 2008 Touchstone was named the ‘Best New Band’ at the Classic Rock Society awards. They have also inspired Jeff Wayne of War Of The Worlds fame to describe their music as, ‘stunning’ and ‘passionate’. Meanwhile none other than Rick Wakeman of Yes confirmed that this was, ‘a really great new band’.
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