Anyone who thinks I'm just a whiskey drinking dunderhead who wants to see Burzum eat the guts of Neon Indian has never seen me listen to "Cloudbusting" by Kate Bush. I don't think I've ever made it through that song without tears pouring out of my eyes. Kate Bush has that effect, even on grown men who eat too much red meat. Her lyrics, arrangements and voice cut to the core of the human heart and remind you of what is truly important in life, which is usually those around you that you hurt the most, causing you to feel a chasm between the person you want to be and the person you are, not that I would know anything about that. It's ethereal music that you should probably listen to ever day in order to be a better person, but it's weight is too much to listen to every day. In some ways it's a good thing that she has only produced two records of original material in the past 17 years, because her records take years to digest and stay with you twice as long. For those novices out there who have never heard Kate Bush, she is sort of like Joanna Newsom, but a thousand times better. "50 Words For Snow," is hands down her best record following "Hounds Of Love." It is the perfect medium for Bush's vision comprised of minimal compositions built on piano that grow gradually over time into quite epics that are as effecting as anything she has produced. I was stunned on the first listen of this record, and as I explore it I am consistently overwhelmed by what I hear. Yes, there is a duet with Elton John on this record, and yes, it is one of the best songs on the album. If one needed proof that our elder statesmen and women can craft much better music than the youth of today, "Snowed In At Wheeler Street" will provide every Rolling Stone critic with enough ammunition to last a lifetime. For my money, though, "Misty" is the song I want to get lost in forever. A beautiful piano melody plays over slight jazz drums and stings working itself into a subtle climax that recalls all that was great about 80s art rock. It's like Talk Talk backing up Kate Bush, and really that is all I need to say. I probably don't need to explain further why an album called "50 Words For Snow" is the perfect record for this season, but all of the reasons I just discussed above are also why this is one of the best records of 2011.
"Misty" excerpt
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