AERIAL

I gave this album a rare 1-star review after my initial and profound disappointment with the album which I then sold. After some encouragement from a PA friend and seeing the outpouring of good reviews, I bought the album again recently to give it another chance. It is better than the vicious slogging I gave it initially, and I've added a star, yet I still believe it is easily her weakest album. "A Coral Room" is by far the strongest track on Aerial, a moving and intimate look into the Bush family as Kate talks about the memory of her mother. It's truly lovely. But it is the single bright spot on the first disc. The other bright spots are scattered here and there on the epic but underwhelming second disc, a connected set of tracks called "A Sky of Honey." There are some very pretty moments of piano and vocal, dreamy and relaxing. But even if this is intentionally minimalist as others note, there is so little of the Bush spark, so few dynamics, so few moments that grab you. It just goes by like easy listening radio. While I acknowledge it wasn't as bad as that butcher first review I wrote off the cuff, I just don't see how so many find this album as strong or amazing as her 1978-85 work. And many people do just that. Rather, Bonnek nails this album best, it sits nicely on the shelf as a companion piece to Sensual World, but no more. I feel bad about being harsh but I have to be honest. I know what it's like to be a Kate-fan and I think in our long dry spells of waiting between albums we may tend to give her a pass she hasn't earned. While serious reviewers can find things to like about this album, I think some really go too in proclaiming this thing a masterpiece. I would counsel newbies to make this the last Kate Bush album you investigate. Start at the very beginning and work your way to the end chronologically. Without question that is the best way to experience the wonder of the Bush catalog. Two stars is being generous here, given that the album has only one track I consider outstanding.

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