50 Words For Snow

Kate Bush once again kept us waiting for quite a while

Leaving out of count the recent release of Director’s Cut, featuring a set of remakes of old songs, last time Kate Bush please us with new material in the remote year of 2005. That was the Aerial album that greatly impressed the extravagant singer’s listeners and gave them hope that the following record would not keep them waiting that long. They were wrong on that. As long as six years later, Bush’s discography finally received one more studio effort. The new work was beautifully titled 50 Words For Snow and, to some extent, posed contrast to the predecessor. While Aerial used colors and light to describe everyday, common and even routine things, endowing them with unexpected charm, Kate Bush’s recent record’s cover and name get us ready for a journey into another world. This is so dearly loved time of Christmas joy and great faith in miracles. On the other hand, that would be quite strange for Kate just to pick up and develop what she dumped six years ago.

Magic World revealed on 50 Words For Snow

Kate Bush’s fairy tales are not for children. Magic here entwines with mayhem and mystique, while the plot does not necessarily guarantee a happy ending. Thus, the first track, Snow flake, features the singer’s sun Bernie. His character is falling from high above and calls for help, but the singer’s reply is the urge to keep falling. Lake Tahoe, and Misty boost the sensation of the unreal. Presently not as light as before Kate’s voice bears touches of sadness and loneliness highlighted by flawless piano. Although these songs last for almost half an hour, we are so much attracted to the performance, that time simply does not matter. Especially touching is Misty, exploiting what seems quite a banal story of a snowman that dies on the character’s arms. As we move further into the album, the mood changes when we hear the sounds of the lively Wild Man. This one can be characterized as a funny manual on hunting yeti. Then, we are welcomed by two very special songs. First, we listen to Snowed In A Wheeler Street where Elton John sings. It is followed by the title track. It turned out that making up fifty synonyms for snow, if is done wisely, may be quite a fascinating action. The set is closed with a gentle ballad about friendship called Among Angels.

Kate Bush’s new album has a striking impact on listener

50 Words For Snow is a work based on contrast, on one’s ability to manipulate people’s emotions through music. Just like the view of winter forest behind the window, this album drags you away and makes you forget about the reality. It casts you into deadly frost and strikes you with biting wind, but then places you cozily by the fire place and gives you a cup of hot tea. Completely regardless of forms, sizes and patterns, Kate Bush surrenders to her intuition; and we surrender to her as we trust her music instincts. A song like Misty could not have been designed and tabulated by parts for precise execution. You would have to place yourself in that atmosphere and start doing it the way something inside tells you. Just like inspiration comes down onto a writer and he writes a novel in two days, the same way Kate Bush made this album in a shortest period of time guided by a powerful creative impulse. She simply did not have much time for bearing and cultivating in her mind the concept of 50 Words For Snow. Shortly before now, she finished working on Director’s Cut. And the sincerity and originality make Kate Bush’s new album an extraordinary piece of art worthy of your attention.