Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love

Kate Bush was always far too peculiar towards classic listeners opened to anything ballad-like. Her music is sometimes a confusing wall-of-noise of emotional breaks that veer towards the esoteric. Of course her mistique is her finest weapon - musically it directs us to the point of no return once we experience any Kate Bush record - of course, to much astonishment this excellent musician delivers with every album. 'Hounds of Love' remains one of her creative peaks, first introduced with a deserved, massive hit 'Running Up That Hill'. A nightmarish ballet excursion into void seemed the appropriate choice for a video.

The rest of the album is equally thrilling - divided into two parts, 'Hounds of Love' and then 'The Ninth Wave' (the latter remains obscure subheadline to the album'), create the aura of everything unreal - most of the time we are subjected to Kate's eccentricity to much satisfaction she delivers with slight touch of eroticism. Of those dark highlights, themes like 'Under Ice' and 'Waking the Witch' remain one of the songs which will send shivers down the spine everytime you put them on (advice: do (not) listen to it when alone or in complete darkness) - 'Under Ice' describes a situation in a dream, a charming atmosphere threatened by the intensity of the strings slowly announcing something horrific is about to happen, while 'Waking ther Witch' slides down from morning-coffee-intro to chaos lead by satanic-like vocals addressing the catholic church decline. The best works always remain the most insignificant. 10

'The Big Sky' is a unique song. Some sort of hybrid african vibe that soars on a pulsing groove, whilst vocals and instruments wrap round in an excitable, unhinged way, as though constantly receiving blue bolts of electricity. An amazing LP as well.