Touchstone is a five-piece band, formed in 2003, by the combined vision of keyboard playing vocalist Rob Cottingham and highly talented guitarist Adam Hodgson. In 2006 they added bass player Paul Moorghen, and the following year drummer Al Melville. When Kim Seviour joined and added her vocals she completed the picture.
Kim’s addition proved pivotal with her captivating voice blending superbly with that of Rob’s. Together they produce what is now the trademark Touchstone sound. That sound first emerged on Discordant Dreams an album that certainly attracted a lot of attention.
Opening the album with Jeremy Iron’s distinctive voice on “Prelude” is nothing short of a masterstroke. His haunting reading sets the scene and draws you like a ship to a siren into the album. The title track follows and launches you on a spectacular journey that veers from the sublime to the grandiose, the subtle to dramatic, in an ever shifting, seamless voyage of often spectacular music.
The production throughout is nothing short of excellent. Kim’s soothing vocals blend smoothly with those of Rob creating an irresistible counterbalance in the process. Adam Hodgson’s driving power chords and dramatic breaks add the drama. Meanwhile Paul Moorghen’s bass intrigues and entices locking in firmly with the impressive drums of Al Melville.
This is a band brimming with ideas and a collective creativity, and a desire to deliver music of the highest quality. That belief radiates from every well conceived note. There is simply no space for anything but the best on Wintercoast. There are so many ideas flowing from them. Touchstone describe their sound as being, ‘like prog but with a real bite’, and that is precisely what they deliver here by the shovel load.
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