“Deus ex machina” is a term which literally means “god from the machine” in Latin. Eurythmics’ Touch, I would describe as anima ex machina, translated as “soul from the machine.” Indeed, soul and rhythm and depth is what lead singer, Annie Lennox, pulls from the synthesizers and pulsating beats of this album, from the very opening spider-like notes of Here Comes the Rain to the closing bleeps and bloops covering a looming bass in Paint a Rumour. This album does two things very very right. One is a vast variety of sounds and textures pulled out of their synths, and what few live instruments were available. Most, though not all, of this came from the silent man behind the curtain, Dave Stewart, who handled much of the production. Stylistically, this means that the album includes a cascade of different styles of electronica and new wave. The other half is the sheer muscle put behind Lennox’s vocals, and she brings much of the life to tracks. And her voice knows as few bounds as the music, swinging from the sexy and dangerous Regrets to the longing Who’s That Girl to the bombastic and almost joyous Right By Your Side, a song that takes a musically more tropical aesthetic. Her voice even ends up as much of an instrument as any other, especially on the song No Fear, No Hate, No Pain (No Broken Hearts), where her vocals seem to pulsate as much as the synths that back it. Aesthetically, the album is cold to the touch, but with such a warm embrace, and such a great example of 80’s synthpop and new wave at some of its best.
Rating: 3.5/5
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