Kate Bush re-invents

Chloe Silver
Contributor
Amidst today’s bubblegum pop sensations, a new album emerges from one of the founders that played a part in establishing it all. Kate Bush released her ninth studio album, The Director’s Cut, in May.

Since the release of her debut album The Kick Inside (1978) at the tender age of 19, Bush has traveled widely through the music industry, never letting go of her personal vision in the face of both success and failure.
With her latest studio album, Bush displays what she describes as an entirely new project rather than a collection of mere remixes. The album’s 11 tracks compile considerably reworked material from her earlier albums The Sensual World and The Red Shoes, all recorded using analog equipment, rather than digital, to create a more earthy, natural sound. All of the tracks have new lead vocals, new percussion, and extensively reworked instrumentation.
The listener is drawn in from the opening track, “Flower of the Mountain”, with a mixture of ethereal church bells and a variety of uncommon instruments. This is different from its mother-song, the title track from Bush’s 1989 album The Sensual World.
“Deeper Understanding” depicts the need for human compassion being replaced by a need for technology. Bush hits home with: “But I was lonely, I was lost / Without my little black box / I pick up the phone and go execute”. It recalls an addiction to an electronics that we use with so little thought today; the first version of this song was released in 1989.
Throughout the later tracks, it is clear that there are more than a few strong themes at play, in keeping with all of Bush’s works. Bush covers controversial subject matter such as pagan rituals, sexuality devoid of emotion, and dependence on technology. An important message recurs through all the songs, that keeping true to one’s personal voice is not only crucial to our being, but  very effective in creating a successful career in music.
The final song, “Rubberband Girl”, is deliciously upbeat and leaves the audience surfing on a high note. The guitar chords emulate the lyrics themselves, twanging and bending just like a ‘rubberband girl’ itself. The later addition of synths and harmonica gives the song a mash-up feel of country music mixed with just a touch of the ethereal quality found earlier in the album’s progression. The text certainly envelops a theme that we all can live by: “A rubberband bouncing back to life / A rubberband bend the beat / If I could learn to give like a rubberband / I’d be back on my feet.”
The Director’s Cut breaks the mold of the everyday pop princess, striving to convey significant messages seldom found in contemporary pop. Bush throws her full self into her work, just as a true teacher should. Sit down, relax, and immerse yourself in the album. You may be surprised by what you find.