Touch

Released in 1988 on the independent Nettwerk label, Touch serves as the world's introduction to Sarah McLachlan, though it presents a version of her sound that is significantly more experimental and synth-heavy than her 90s output. Produced by Greg Reely, the album is a product of the Vancouver 'industrial-pop' scene, sharing more DNA with bands like Dead Can Dance or Cocteau Twins than with the folk-pop peers she would later be grouped with. The original 1988 release featured a darker, sepia-toned cover and a slightly different tracklist before being polished and remixed for an international Arista re-release in 1989. Lyrically, the album leans into surrealism and abstract imagery, with tracks like 'Vox' and 'Steaming' showcasing a fascination with vocal layering and rhythmic textures. The closing track, 'Ben's Song,' is the only moment that truly foreshadows her future as a piano-ballad icon, written for a child who died of cancer. Historically, it is the cornerstone of the Nettwerk label's success and a rare example of a debut that successfully blends gothic atmosphere with pop accessibility.