Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow (2018 Remaster, 2LP/Polar Edition)
Kate Bush’s 50 Words for Snow is a quietly immersive winter album that stands apart from the rest of her catalogue. Released in 2011, it is her second self-produced record and was written almost entirely for the months of snowfall, darkness and reflection. Across seven long-form tracks, Bush explores snow not just as weather, but as metaphor — for memory, stillness, isolation and fleeting beauty.
Musically, the album is sparse, spacious and deliberately unhurried. Piano-led arrangements dominate, often accompanied by subtle electronics, low-frequency pulses and carefully placed percussion that feel more like atmosphere than rhythm. Kate Bush’s vocal performances are intimate and restrained, allowing space for the music to breathe. Highlights include Snowflake, a tender opening piece featuring her son Bertie McIntosh, and Misty, which blends jazz-inflected piano with surreal, dreamlike storytelling.
One of the album’s most striking moments is Snowed in at Wheeler Street, a duet with Elton John that unfolds as a frozen lovers’ conversation across continents. The title track closes the album with quiet humour and linguistic playfulness, listing Inuit words for snow over a minimalist backdrop.