The Genius of Kate Bush

Recently I've "discovered" the work of British songstress Kate Bush, and why it took me so long I don't know. She's perfect for my musical temperment - poppy, emphatic, a little weird. Going back through her catalog has just been an absolute pleasure. Some have compared Joanna Newsom's voice to Bjork, which is ridiculous, because it's much closer to Bush's alto. Unlike Newsom, however, Bush has a sweetness to her intonations that keeps you feeling like she's about to explode in sobs. Don't get me wrong, her music is in no way dominated by depressive themes, it's just this particular way her voice has of carrying a subtle, underlying emotionality. The quality of her melodies and the centerpiece of her voice transcend even the cheesiness in some of her older work's instrumentation. Just fucking great. I haven't really checked out much of her (supposedly) triumphant return in LP form from last year, Aerial, but from her older catalog a good place to start is either with The Whole Story or Hounds Of Love, working your way from there out to her other works. Here's one of her better singles:

Download "Cloudbusting"