English art rock icon Kate Bush is known for taking her time, but if you can't wait to hear her first album of original material since 2005's Aerial, head on over to NPR to stream her new album 50 Words For Snow and read critic Ann Powers's take on it.
There was a 12 year gap between her 1993 album The Red Shoes and her 2005 return Aerial, and then it was another six years before we heard from her again with this year's Director's Cut, a collection of rearranged and revised version of previously released songs. Fans figured this might be it for a while, so of course the ever-unpredictable Bush released two albums in one year. Snow will be out via Anti Records next week.
Bush's evocative Victorian imagery, singular metaphors and experimental production techniques have influenced artists ranging from Radiohead to St. Vincent to Outkast. After looking at the tracklisting for Snow, which features seven songs in 65 minutes, with the longest, "Misty," clocking in at close to 14 minutes, it seems fair to wonder if Bush hasn't been spending time listening to one of her most acclaimed stylistic heirs, Joanna Newsom, which is likely a good thing.
Also, Stephen Fry is on this album, for some reason.
