FEATURE:
Vinyl Corner
Enya - Watermark
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I can’t think of another artist…
quite like Enya! Perhaps people know her only for the hit, Orinoco Flow, but many do not know the album it came from. Watermark is the second studio album from County Donegal-born artist, and I remember, just about, Orinoco Flow, being everywhere when it came out. It was one of those songs that was entirely different from anything around. Maybe it is the mood of the piece, or the Celtic flows; the beauty of Enya’s voice, or everything combined! Whatever it was, I was hooked! I would encourage people to buy Watermark on vinyl, as it is a great album that not many people talk about now, but it is one of the best from the 1980s. Released on 19th September, 1988, Enya secured a contract with Warner following the release of her eponymous debut album of 1987. Her contract granted her the creative and artist freedom she needed. Unlike a lot of big labels, Enya was not being moulded and directed. There was not a deadline to have the album ready so, with few restrictions and pressures, she was not watching the clock or having her ideas rehashed or dismissed. Because of that, I think there is a real sense of consistency, authenticity and openness on Watermark. Enya recorded Watermark with her longtime collaborators, manager, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. It was a bountiful collaboration and, within ten months, they had this masterful album on their hands! Evening Falls…, Storms in Africa, and Exile were also released as singles from the album.
Orinoco Flow hit number-one in many nations (including the U.K.) and, though the remaining singles did not chart as well, the album itself received acclaim and big sales. Few would have expected such an unconventional and uncommercial album to sell well. Even to this day, one might label Watermark a ‘World Music’ album, or something quite niche. Perhaps it was the popularity and accessibility of Orinoco Flow that helped make the album a success but, when you listen through, there are a lot of great songs that carry the same emotion and majesty as that track. Watermark reached number-five on the U.K. album chart, and it was certified quadruple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 1.2 million and four-million copies across the United Kingdom and the United States respectively. I think there are a few aspects that define the album. The layered and gorgeous vocals from Enya are a big reason why her music is so addicting and striking. The influence of Celtic music was quite new to a lot of people in 1988, and it helped establish that style of music to a new audience. Away from the traditional sounds and mainstream tracks, Watermark is an album that provided a fascinating alternative. Many might know Enya from Clannad - her family's Celtic band, in the early-1980s –, and she was influenced by The Beach Boys and their vocal harmonies, in addition to Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique.
I think Watermark would be less mesmeric if there were few layers; the fact we get to hear waves of vocals raises the songs to heavenly heights. One can well imagine the number of vocal takes Enya would have gone through…not only to get the songs sounding how she wanted them, but to experiment and see just where she could take her voice! Watermark is one of those albums not necessarily defined by the singles. Whilst they are exceptional, there is so much gold to be found, with songs like Cursum Perficio, and Na Laetha Geal M'óige as appealing and memorable as the singles. It was that lack of a deadline that meant Enya was able to work on tracks and come back to them if needs be. Orinoco Flow was the final track recorded for Watermark, and it was a difficult one – with Enya taking a break and having to come back to it. Watermark is one of those albums that is not ranked with the best albums of the late-1980s, and that is unfair. If you have a moment spare and can afford the vinyl, it will not disappoint! It is a fantastic album, and it is both calming and uplifting. The reviews for Watermark – aside from a few mixed ones – have been glowing and positive. This is what AllMusic said in their review:
“Thanks to its distinct, downright catchy single "Orinoco Flow," which amusingly referenced both her record-company boss Rob Dickins and co-producer Ross Cullum in the lyrics, Enya's second album Watermark established her as the unexpected queen of gentle, Celtic-tinged new age music. To be sure, her success was as much due to marketing a niche audience in later years equally in love with Yanni and Michael Flatley's Irish dancing, but Enya's rarely given a sense of pandering in her work.
She does what she does, just as she did before her fame. (Admittedly, avoiding overblown concerts run constantly on PBS hasn’t hurt.) Indeed, the subtlety that characterizes her work at her best dominates Watermark, with the lovely title track, her multi-tracked voice gently swooping among the lead piano, and strings like a softly haunting ghost, as fine an example as any. “Orinoco Flow” itself, for all its implicit dramatics, gently charges instead of piling things on, while the organ-led “On Your Shore” feels like a hushed church piece. Elsewhere, meanwhile, Enya lets in a darkness not overly present on The Celts, resulting in work even more appropriate for a moody soundtrack than that album. “Cursum Perficio,” with her steady chanting-via-overdub of the title phrase, gets more sweeping and passionate as the song progresses, matched in slightly calmer results with the equally compelling “The Longships.” “Storms in Africa,” meanwhile, uses drums from Chris Hughes to add to the understated, evocative fire of the song, which certainly lives up to its name. Watermark ends with a fascinating piece, “Na Laetha Geal M’Oige,” where fellow Irish modern/traditional fusion artist Davy Spillane adds a gripping, heartbreaking uilleann pipe solo to the otherwise calm synth-based performance. It’s a perfect combination of timelessness and technology, an appropriate end to this fine album”.
I really love Watermark and, whilst Enya did not quite hit the same peaks on future albums, her latest studio album, 2015’s Dark Sky Island, shows that she still has plenty of terrific songs up her sleeves! Watermark is a tremendous album, and hearing it on vinyl is very special indeed. I just want to bring in one more review before moving along.
This article raises some interesting observations:
"On Your Shore" is a love poem about a past not easily forgotten. Enya's daydreamy trips to her homeland cause listeners to recall homes they have left behind. It's a bittersweet journey.
Enya may delve into folk and traditional harmonies, but that doesn't mean she can't get commercial. Her single "Orinoco Flow" is as catchy as anything on radio today. She sings of global travel while her overdubbed harmonizing urges her on: "Sail away, sail away, sail away”.
Enya's instrumental songs are simple and pleasant musical ideas but are overshadowed by the strength of her more fully realized vocalworks. Her singing is so strong that it is painfully obvious when she isn't singing.
Then there is "Na Laetha Geal M'oige," one of the most beautiful melodies recorded by anyone recently. Enya s breezy voice flows around subtle synthesizers, bridged by a mournful Irish piper. Although the lyrics are Gaelic, they are sung with such conviction and warmth that translations aren't necessary.
Enya is a hard-to-label artist. Although some of her work is New Age, her singing demands attention. You can't ignore her voice regardless of volume
The fact that this is a digital recording only heightens the ambiance she brings to the compact disc. Her every breath becomes an instrument that adds to her vocal orchestra. Watermark is more than an album of songs: It is a work of art”.
I will leave it there, but go and get Watermark if you can or, failing that, stream it. I think we all need a bit of soothing and calm, and you get plenty of that on the album, but there is ample spirit and rush! It is clear that Watermark is…
A wonderful aural treat.