You may recall that I gave my son ten slots to pick albums I had otherwise left off of my initial list. Today we have his next selection, “The Sensual World” by Kate Bush. I think from discussions that he picked Kate Bush to challenge me, trying to expand my horizons, while overlooking I had already included her 1985 album, “Hounds of Love”. That said, I’m glad he picked it, and I did enjoy it.
There are some similarities between “The Sensual World” and yesterday’s album, “Disintegration” by The Cure. Both are filled with big, expansive, ethereal sounds on the dark side of the spectrum. This release by Kate Bush is more synth-heavy and thus, doesn’t hit with quite the force of The Cure, but it is a similar vibe. The first two songs on the record are my favorite, with the title track followed by “Love and Anger”. Both of these tracks are among the three singles released from this album, and they are representative of the relative smooth opening of this record.
As the album carries on, the songs grow a bit more experimental and unique in nature, but not to the point of excess. There is a funky groove that opens “Between a Man and a Woman”, and “Rocket’s Tail” is a rush of layered vocals, with a very retro and angelic choir feel, even if it is a bit unbalanced and jarring. The song eventually explodes with a powerful drum rhythm and driving beat, rocking with unusual power as Bush lays her heart out with desperate urgency.
I like when I’m tasked to listen to new music, it provides balance to the consistent security of music I know, and I’m grateful to my son as well as this entire process for pushing me into a place I never would have gone on my own.
A Lifetime-Plus of Music 