In The Nursery – Stormhorse

In the Nursery still make respectable (cinematic) music albeit nowadays I find them a bit led astray by their ambitious symphonic sound. With earlier records, they maintained research, resulting in something equally mature and naive. 'Stormhorse' as the rumour has it, seems to be a soundtrack to an unreleased/unfinished film. After their earlier military rock/electronic fusion from 'When Cherished Dreams Come True' through to 'Twins', 'Stormhorse' steps down into more adventurous territory, where In the Nursery dare exploring the first of their (later known) avantgarde classical leanings to the maximum level.

Traces of 'Twins' are mostly evident in the CD's addition of 'Trinity' ('Blind Me') - the album itself is a nice mixture of occasional electronic groove although this groove demonstrates practice makes perfect for the army more than the disco crowd. Each piece brings out emotional depth and strict arrangements, avoding any pretentiousness with such ease. The music is fluid, at times it is charmingly scary for it tends to bring some tragically atmospheric, glorifying scenes to the front. By missing the actual 'film', the listener can envisage scenes and subconsciously help directing 'Stormhorse' in his own imagination.

Also worth mentioning at the time of this album, Enya was just starting more prominently and some of the pieces here ('Nightshade' in particular) are quite evident as eventual direction for Enya's magnificent early work (especially 'The Celts'). Also not far from comparison are Angelo Badalamenti (without the dreamy guitar work) and Dead Can Dance - who, like ITN, had more-less similar path in finding their own unique sound during 1987 (after two exceptionally diverse early records); depending on who was there first, 'Leggiero - World of the Newborn', it's follow-up of 'Dolente' and 'Miracle of the Rose II' show certain similarities to DCD's 'The Protagonist' (from 4AD's 'Lonely Is an Eyesore' package).

All in all, it might be a dangerous line of copy-paste of intelligent classical music from various sources everyone detects on their own, but there is definitely the sincerity in working out these adaptations - Enya, DCD and ITN might have something in common, yet it was equally diverse and identity all of their own. And 'Stormhorse' was a crucial album for In the Nursery. For the listener, it is full of emotionally rich, dramatic textures that grow with every next listen.