Explaining Kate Bush's music can sound a little odd. On her latest "seasonal" album she lusts after a snowman, and a yeti, gets Stephen Fry to delectably read through 50 (often made-up) words for snow, has a tenor and counter-tenor tell the story of a Victorian woman looking for her dog, has veteran musician Andy Fairweather Low pretend to be a Nepalese Sherpa, and takes on the persona of a snowflake.
Yep. It sounds fruity but rather than being obscure and difficult, it all knits together beautifully. Rolling, repeated piano lines, flourishes of strings and synths, delicate guitar parts, and some poignant, gentle percussion and drums by Steve Gadd fill the soundscape.
Highlights include Snowflake which captures the quiet that envelopes a landscape after a snowfall, and the hypnotic verbal patterns of the title track.
Stars: 4/5
-TimeOut
