“Beats a dead reindeer”: Vivoscene

Marin Nelson at Vivoscene does not have the patience for long tracks:

“sometimes thirteen-minute marathon songs detailing emotional distance and intemperate affairs are too much. By the time Stephen Fry literally recites 50 words for, about, or conjuring snow in the title track, you’ll probably have frostbite. Or want it, just for an excuse to go inside for some respite. Kate Bush is one of the artists you hate to critique. Her long and iconic career has seen ingenuity and brilliance … She’s set an unprecedented standard, especially for an artist that’s been releasing genre-pushing albums since 1978 … Kate Bush’s strengths are ever-present: starkness is captured. When she wants to achieve that deafening silence of drifting snow, she does. Emotional veracity is represented, and lyrically she’s unmatched. It’s likely that Kate Bush meant to time this album as a harbinger for Christmas. But if you’re single and prone to contemplative wine-binges on a cold night, keep 50 Words For Snow far, far away. Or use it as a coaster.”