Released: June 7
Celebrating three decades in music, Aussie dance-pop star Peter Wilson returns with ‘Touch’ – his 11th studio album featuring some of his strongest material to date.
Predominantly a collaboration with Larry Forsberg and Michael Jay, the 16-song record builds upon the foundations of the singer-songwriter’s 2023 EPs, ‘Saw The Signs’ and ‘We Are The Night’, with a blend of PWL-inspired pop and Italo disco.
The sweeping synth lines of opening number and title song, Touch (Too Much), lay the groundwork for the project, which features some of Peter’s strongest vocals in recent years, while the singles, Imagine That and Heard It In A Heartbeat, offer a taster of the spectrum of sounds on offer.
If the five-minute epic, On Top Of The World, and classic Pete Hammond-produced Heaven In My Hands see Peter doing what he does best, ‘Touch’ also sees the star branch out into new territory; Into The Light wouldn’t sound out of place next to the finest Eurovision entries, while the rousing, Mike Stock-penned Everything We Had showcases Peter’s versatility as a vocalist and interpreter of material, with one the strongest vocals on the LP.
There are more allusions to the SAW legend’s early years, with the huge Michael Jay/Martika co-write What Do You Want From Me a lost ‘80s gem, in the vein of Dead or Alive, that finally gets its moment in the spotlight, and Nicki French’s unmistakeable background vocals on Come On And Kiss Me a nod to his ‘90s work.
The anthemic A Golden Age is a stadium-sized pop anthem, with pulsing beats and a larger than life chorus that defies you to sing along by the final round.
Closing with Lie To Me – starting with twinkling keys and building to a full-band production that could be lifted straight from a movie soundtrack – it’s further proof that, 30 years on from his debut, Peter’s willing to branch out, take more chances and push himself both musically and vocally.
The occasional lull in the stacked tracklist aside, ‘Touch’ is unquestionably strong and as he looks ahead to the next chapter in his career following a departure from Energise Records after more than a decade, signposts there’s plenty left to look forward to in the future.
