Maybe it's appropriate that an album so indebted to the imagery of Winter be released during its thematic namesake season. And it's more than just the common companion of somber piano to stark winter imagery that marks this album as seeming to be so intensely introspective, using the obvious metaphors of snow to convey the emotional and psychological damage we inflict on each other and the distance at which we hold others at bay, but as in such cases, sometimes there can be light found in the darkest places. Bush has long been known for these expertly crafted stories of heartbreak and mystical isolation, and on 50 Words For Snow, she transforms what might have ordinarily been homogenous and predictable conversations with the listener into something more, something individual just for that listener, a small but warm hand to hold in the dark. These songs radiate an inner warmth even when Bush is wallowing in the mistaken release of love and the knowledge that love may never come again.
While finding ways to express the undefinable has always been a trademark of Kate Bush, just listen to Hounds Of Love and you'll see a masterpiece of understated subtlety and complex imagery, on 50 Words For Snow she takes that candor and intimacy through to its logical conclusion, by welcoming the listener to come in and participate in the narrative themselves. By making the songs feel real and tangible to the listener, Bush makes a strong case that, even with the sometimes fanciful stories spread across this album, it aways feels grounded in a certain reality. Songs like "Wild Man", with it's tale of a search for the abominable snowman, and "Misty", a curious song about a woman's phsysical relationship with a snowman, could easily come across as terribly fey or disposable if they weren't injected with such an honesty sincerity towards their subjects. And the same could be said for any of the other songs here.
Bush has always taken the road less travelled, whether by limiting her output to what she feels resonates with the listener and not what may be seen as possible commercial fodder or by her natural inclination towards releasing the fully developed story-songs which she has refined over the past two decades of, albeit scarce, albums. The welcoming stillness of 50 Words For Snow may at first seem a bit intimidating and along with the lengthy songs may at times steer listeners towards more accessible fare, but Bush knows that for those who are familiar with her past works and who yearn for something more than the casual singer-songwriter white noise of your local coffee house, 50 Words For Snow will capture your imagination, and by allowing that warm center to melt through, she shows that even when Winter is in full force, the memories of love and hopeful Summers will always carry you through.
Tracklisting:
01. Snowflake
02. Lake Tahoe
03. Misty
04. Wild Man (listen to the mp3 below)
05. Snowed In At Wheeler Street
06. 50 Words For Snow
07. Among Angels
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