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dutyThursday. February 9. 1989Melodies ha ve spiritual touchBy Bill Merrill Guest ColumnistIn the past, this column has dealt with music that defies categorization. The terms “rock. “pop.’’ “jazz” and “new age” don’t always adequately define every type of music that comes along.In such cases, the best I can do is try to describe the way it “sounds.” and let you decide for yourself.The newest album to present this problem is Watermark, the second album by a young Irish musician named Enya.Her style centers around simple melodies with thick, full arrangements of synthesizers, background choruses and orchestra hall echo effects.The melody is usually more important than lyrics in Enya’s songs, although she has a very soft, pleasant soprano voice when she sings. The vocal tracks give off an aura of long lost ancient folk songs or hymns, while the purely instrumental themes combine the beauty of classical sonatas with the introspection of new age synthesizer music.The current single from Watermark. Orinoco Flow, has only made a minor dents on the charts so far. but it’s amazing that any song so un\v.s\vRecord reviewconventional would appear on the “Hot 100” at all!Orinoco Flow doesn’t have a traditional rhythm structure; its only rhythm is created by a staccato “plucked string” sound made on the synthesizer. Instead of a standard pop vocal. Enya lavors a layered chorus lt;her own voice overdubbed several times to form something like a church choir).Sometimes the lyrics are sung in latin on (Cursum Perficio) or Gaelic (Xa Laetha Geal \f'oige.) lending an even more other wordly air to the songs' already mysterious qualities.Enva’s liner notes explain Curaum Pericio's inspiration as the inscription on the portico of Marilyn Monroe's last home. Appropriately, the song has a deeply sad feeling, like some kind of medieval requiem.Watermark will haunt you. The music spoke to places inside of me previously untouched by most of the “good time” pop and rock that prevails these days.Ii for no other reason than its unusualness,this album deserves to reach a wide audience«— 1 ■
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Sheppard Afb Senator
Sheppard Afb, Texas, US
Thu, Feb 09, 1989
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