| Touch | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | Laura Branigan |
| Cover: | Laura Branigan - Touch.png |
| Border: | yes |
| Studio: | Powertrax (Hollywood, California) |
| Length: | 48:39 |
| Label: | Atlantic |
| Producer: |
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| Prev Title: | Hold Me |
| Prev Year: | 1985 |
| Next Title: | The Best of Laura Branigan |
| Next Year: | 1988 |
Touch is the fifth studio album by American singer Laura Branigan, released on July 7, 1987, by Atlantic Records. The album saw Branigan's return to dancefloors with the lead single, the Stock Aitken Waterman-produced "Shattered Glass", which was released in June 1987 and reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] The album's second single, a cover of Jennifer Rush's "Power of Love", was released in October 1987, peaking at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] "Spirit of Love" was released as a single in Europe, while "Cry Wolf" served as the album's third single in the United States.
In their review of the album, Billboard commented "pop songstress gets to showcase her strongest assets here: powerful, sustained vocals and convincing lyric interpretation. The results fit best with adult contemporary; album offers more ballads than usual. Best bets: "Shattered Glass," produced by Stock, Aitken, Waterman; "Over Love " and "Spirit Of Love." [2]
Cashbox praised the album, stating that "international favorite backs off of her signature disco sonics allowing her dramatic, often plaintive vocals to shine through. The song selection on Touch ranges from delicate, introspective heart surgeries to full force gale blowers on which she exercises the breadth of her amazing range."[3]
Allmusic noted that "Laura Branigan's fifth album, Touch, showed signs of maturity as she made a bid (that was not quite successful) for adult contemporary crossover - a smart chance to take considering the longevity many A/C acts have. Her big, boomy voice is perfect for some of the moody ballads on this collection, such as "Over Love," "Meaning of the Word," and "Spirit of Love," but there are so many of those successfully evocative cuts that the dance songs don't fit as seamlessly as they should. That's not to say the upbeat tracks are not in good shape: The lead single, "Shattered Glass" and "Angels Calling" stand out; you can hardly hold back from caroling along. Synthesizer-heavy throughout, on both the slow and fast songs, the strings on the yearning "Cry Wolf" near the end of the album are welcome. The lyrics on many of the cuts are poetic and adult, making this atmospheric collection the best product she'd released so far; the material is far better suited to her voice - which has never sounded better."[4]
All tracks produced by David Kershenbaum, except "Shattered Glass" and "Whatever I Do", produced by Stock Aitken Waterman; additional production on "Name Game" by Albert Cabrera and Tony Moran.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Touch.[5]
| Peak position | ||
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[6] | 68 | |
|---|---|---|
| US Cash Box Top 200 Albums[7] | 97 |