A Day Without Rain made quite the impression, Watermark has a similar revelry in the sublime. Released twelve years prior, Enya's musical philosophy seems more remarkable for a decade often marred by cheesy Glam and cheap Synthpop. Her adoration of harmony through voice and traditional instruments plays out on contemplative compositions. Performed via keyboards, the production handles their synthetic nature expertly, one could be fooled into picturing her with an assemble of trained musicians orchestrating these deeply emotive songs.
Swaying from the imaginative, colorful throws of New Age, into cinematic scores of sentimental stirrings, Enya graces us with a range of humanist emotions. Evoking sentimental pondering, themes of beauty, love and warmth caress by. With ambience and a touch of gloom the scenes painted occasionally slip into a melancholic haze, a curious space of gently handled sorrows. So to our there flushes of exuberance as worldly sounds usher in colorful strides of adventurous melody.
Each idea feels nurtured and understood, expressed expertly as dense orchestrations of instruments play alongside lone piano pieces and minimal compositions. Through it all, her soft soothing voice sings as a guiding light. Occasionally drifting into the scenery itself, she becomes more of the melody than words uttered. Its a delight how she is always in equilibrium with the varying temperaments explored.
Then there is the case of Orinoco Flow, an explosion of exotic, tropical delight. This song was a huge hit and still sounds fantastic today, as if it exists in a space of its own. Interestingly, the dialed down, meditative ambience of River with its quirky bass aesthetic almost sounds like an echo of that track. Perhaps the link between these two songs lies in a similar aquatic sentiment felt.
Other highlights include the dramatic The Longships and a darkly epic Cursum Perficio. Giving the track listing a little more attention in my closing remarks, the oceanic theme seems all to obvious now. No doubt I'll give it more attention on future listens. This ones a gem I'm sure will only grow closer to the heart with time.
Rating: 8/10