Twelve long years have passed since Kate Bush last released an album, meaning that fans will be more than just thrilled at the arrival of latest outing Aerial, even more so considering it offers not one, but two helpings of new music to explore and enjoy. Probably the most prominent aspect here is that, despite the lengthy hiatus since 1993’s The Red Shoes, opening track (and lead single) King Of The Mountain doesn’t show any sign that Kate is any closer to abating from her declared preference of resisting even the remotest semblance to the clutches of the mainstream. It is a sentiment that manifests itself as much on the half that is by and large the album proper (A Sea Of Honey), as much as it does on its less conventional, more elaborate companion, entitled A Sky Of Honey.
During her time away, it seems that Kate Bush’s home-bound role has been essential to the spirit of Aerial, containing a balanced mixture of inner thoughts and surrounding influences and inspirations. It works best on the eloquent Bertie, (written for and about her son), and as delicate as it may sound, Mrs Bartolozzi’s less than exciting theme of washing machines and other household chores may ring a tad too weird for some! The second disc is more of a conceptual piece, a poetic picture of life after (and since) The Red Shoes, expressed in a blur of semi-classical terms and ambient overtones. It’s all indisputably soothing, a sure sign that Kate’s magic is still there!
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CD COURTESY OF EXOTIQUE
AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM
‘Volume 5: Anatomic’
Basing itself on a multi-cultural concept and embracing a global outlook from an artistic and creative point of view, the Afro-Celt Sound System had no problem in attracting a diverse audience with its genre-transcending and broadly appealing music. This, their fifth album as a collective (the sixth, if one includes 2003’s Seed released simply as Afro-Celts), doesn’t stray much from the successful hybrid style that has made the Afro Celts prime movers on the ethnic circuit, regular features on many an ambient compilation and, above all, icons for a generation that seeks to reject boundaries and limitations of any kind!
And while many of their peers may resort to more superficial tactics to attract attention, these global hippies have remained adamant in doing it only through music, choosing to remain faceless despite being endorsed by legends such as Robert Plant, Peter Gabriel and Jah Wobble, to name but a few. In this respect then, Anatomic is once again a huge achievement, particularly down to the fact that while it retains the band’s familiar sound, it remains vibrant in spirit, enticing in melody and overall mesmerizing in musicianship! Of particular note, Mojave and the title track are outstanding examples of why the Afro Celts have such a dedicated and international following!
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CD COURTESY OF WWW.LIB66.TK