TOUCH ME

The third album by The ENID led by keyboardist-composer Robert John Godfrey. It is symphonic instrumental music the same way as VANGELIS was (in his albums like Heaven & Hell). The sound is very similar; frankly I don't easily recognize guitars as the Vangelis-like layers of keyboards dominate the music, whether it's shorter pieces with a classical structure ('Humouresque', 'Elegy') or longer, spacey and meditative tracks. I don't go into track details except it's funny to hear in soft piano of 'Elegy' a fragment of melody from Simon & Garfunkel's 'Old Friends', and also Peter Hammill's 'Sleep Now' comes to my mind. But in most cases it's SO close to Vangelis, especially in the long tracks.

I really could give 4 stars, but even if the music here is absolutely well done and approaching classical standards of composition, there is not that SOMETHING that would make me deeply dive into it. The other night I was watching the starry sky from my balcony with this album playing in the background. That somehow describes its nature well: suitable music when "in the mood", but doesn't grab me like Vangelis is capable to do. And when I want classical sort of music I rather listen to real classical music. But that's just how I see it: definitely worth checking out if you like this kind of instrumental music between classical and rock. One earlier review makes very educated comparisons to various classical composers. Godfrey is no doubt a skillful - if not always so personal - composer, but I need to hear more ENID before bigger appreciation.