"Winter" music (as opposed to Christmas music) is becoming something of a trend lately, with Sting and Tori Amos having tread that path, and there's a fair number of indy artists who have gone in that direction as well. Add Kate Bush to the list for 2011. The reclusive diva went years without a disc and now this is her second album of this year, after Director's Cut, a reimagining of her past work. Unfortunately, it's beginning to look like you should run for the hills with your hand over your wallet any time a big-name rock/pop star advertises a "winter" album. I dinged the previous two artists' efforts in the past for having wrung most of the joy out of the season, and Kate seemingly double-dog-dares you to have any fun with this release. There are seven songs, running times from 6:49 to 13:32, for a total run time of 66 minutes, mostly slow-tempo daydreams set to bleak soundscapes, except "Wild Man" and the title song. Even the guest appearances of Elton John on "Snowed In at Wheeler Street" or Stephen Fry on the title song don't lighten things up much. There are probably listening rewards for those who fancy themselves on Kate's wavelength, but there's nothing here to rock your Christmas playlists.
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