Kate Bush - 'Aerial' (EMI) Released 07/11/05

12 years is a long time to wait for an album, but when you have a fan base as loyal as Kate Bush you can afford to take your time. After crashing into the charts with peculiar wonder ‘Wuthering Heights’ and releasing two albums in the same year she almost consistently produced some of the most innovative music of the 70s and 80s. However her last release, 1993s ‘The Red Shoes’, was seen by many as an example of a faltering of her talents and she has been quiet ever since, taking time out amongst other things to bringing up her young son. Largely dropping out of the public consciousness, with interest briefly reignited with The Futurehead's cover of ‘Hounds of Love’, the obsessive followers still stuck by her in anticipation for the nest release; So do good things come to those who wait?

‘Aerial’ is split across two discs, beginning with ‘Sea of Honey’ opening with first single ‘King of the Mountain’ which continues her knack for referencing other forms of culture in her songs, in this case Orson Welles' ‘Citizen Kane’. Her love for her young son is also an obvious inspiration; he has a song named after him, "Here comes the son of mine/here comes my everything" and his picture appears throughout the sleeve and inlay. 'π', ‘Mrs Bartolozzi’ and ‘A Coral Room’ show she hasn’t lost her ability to find inspiration in some of the strangest places; mathematical infinity, washing machines and little brown jugs respectively. While ‘How to be invisible’ is perhaps a take on her withdrawal from the public eye. It could be made by no one else but Kate, just as unique yet pop, simple but orchestral. But it’s less bombastic and troubled, more warm and contented than is seen in some of her more famous work, typically at a time when angular, rhythmic, falsetto sounds are in vogue.

Disc 2 ‘A Sea of Honey’ is apparently “a conceptual piece in nine parts built around the recurring motifs of light and birdsong, following a day from afternoon through dusk and night and onto sunrise.” Christ, we’re definitely not in Arctic Monkeys land anymore Toto. It begins with ‘Prelude’, a child waking his parents, ‘Prologue’ is an optimistic tome about the start of the day, ‘An Architects Dream’ begins what is unbelievably but unmistakeably the voice of Rolf Harris, light tribal drums and a keyboard refrain that sound like its been lifted from ‘No Sacrifice’ by Phil Collins, well there are only so many notes. This and ‘The Painters Link’ both seem to be about creation and its difficulties. This disc is starts much slower than the last; almost veering into chill out but half way through it begins to build. ‘Sunset carries along with gentle piano and the rhythm slowly before bursting surprisingly into samba. ‘Somewhere in Between’ is more electronic, almost trip hop while the epic ‘Nocturn’ combines this with the samba sound of ‘Sunset’ and falsetto vocals. It all builds to the 7 minute ‘Aerial’ starting with rock guitar backing and ending in birdsong. It’s a musical journey, but one that’s more interesting than outstanding.

It was always unlikely that she was going to produce an album with the pop immediacy of  ‘Wuthering Heights’ or ‘Hounds of  Love’, its more of a grower, but when it works its brilliant. Not a masterpiece, but worth waiting for.