'King of the Mountain'
You know how this one goes. It's the one about Elvis, yetis and Citizen Kane. And the one that had some of you going: "Oh it's pretty and everything but it's not quite as nuts as we were hoping for!" Well that's true, but it is much more than pretty, and is the perfect introduction to an album. Which, luckily, it is!
Pretty points:







Nuts-ometer:






'Pi'
A song about a man obsessed with Pi. Mmm, pie... Kate sings lots of numbers, our particular favourite being '59230781'. She's accompanied by a Greek chorus, hyperactive bass and pulsing organ. A bit odd.
Pretty points:




Nuts-ometer:







'Bertie'
Isn't it funny how songs about people's kids are always rather good, whereas having to look at endless photos of said kids with Marmite smeared across their chops is one of the lesser levels of hell? This has an almost medieval lute thing going on and an instrument called a viol (which we suspect is a viola that's had a bit off). A beautiful, warm and carefully structured song, with frighteningly perfect vocals.
Pretty points:









Nuts-ometer:





'Mrs Bartolozzi'
Finally, a grand piano! This is about a washing machine and clothes on clothes lines looking like the people who wore them. Brilliant! We don't want to spoil things by saying this is our favourite so we'll just say it might be our favourite. There's still a long way to go.
Pretty points:








Nuts-ometer:









'How To Be Invisible'
A dark and brooding rock song during which Kate recites a spell for disappearing: "Hem of anorak, hair of doormat..." We've tried it though and it doesn't work.
Pretty points:







Nuts-ometer:







'Joanni'
Is this the first song to be written about Joan of Arc since The Smiths' 'Bigmouth Strikes Again'? Write in and tell us. This has a similar feel to 'King Of The Mountain', but with added intense humming. We can't think of the last song with added intense humming. Write in and tell us.
Pretty points:





Nuts-ometer:




'A Coral Room'
A very slow piano number, almost as good as 'Under The Ivy' (which is very good indeed). Sung in part duet with Michael Wood and nicking the words to 'Little Brown Jug'. You'll know it when you hear it.
Pretty points:










Nuts-ometer:




And so endeth disc one. Disc two is not, as was previously rumoured, one very long prog rock epic but a collection of songs in their own right that tell the story of a painter - possibly. All linked by musical interludes that are mostly nuts.
'Prelude'
The sound of half-collared doves (pigeons, basically) cooing what sounds like words and a child saying: "The day is full of birds. Sounds like they're saying words." He's not wrong!
Pretty points:









Nuts-ometer:










'Prologue'
A fretless bass, a buzzing noise, pretty piano and Kate speaking Italian: "Tesoro mio bella." Which means "my beautiful treasure", so very useful when watching 'Antiques Roadshow' on holiday.
Pretty points:






Nuts-ometer:




'An Architect's Dream'
It's bloody Rolf Harris! Rolf and Kate have been great mates ever since he blew his didgeridoo on 'The Dreaming' album. Here he's muttering: "Yes, I need to get that tone a little lighter there." Meanwhile, sensual washes of strings lap your ears.
Pretty points:







Nuts-ometer:







'The Painter's Link'
Rolf sings! And it's really rather lovely. "It's raining / What has become of my painting?" Clearly it's got wet. Oh no! He doesn't do that strange panting breathing that he used to do on 'Rolf's Cartoon Club' or use a wobble-board, but you can't have everything.
Pretty points:








Nuts-ometer:








'Sunset'
Ah, classic Bush. Again. A delicate piano, a playful bass, that crystalline voice... Marvellous!
Pretty points:








Nuts-ometer:



'Somewhere In Between'
The pigeons are back! This sounds like it's going to go completely nuts but it doesn't. It goes a bit dub. And Kate uses the word 'twixt'. Mmm... Twix.
Pretty points:







Nuts-ometer:





'Nocturn'
We've looked at our notes, and for this one we scribbled "ambient but driving epic", so we reckon that's a pretty fair description. But we also remember it being a bit long and we found ourselves sucking the choccy off a complimentary jaffa cake. Mmm... complimentary jaffa cake.
Pretty points:





Nuts-ometer:




'Aerial'
For the first time we go a bit uptempo and for the second time we go a bit rock. There are more birds, some mad laughter, instruments splashed about like paint (do you see?) and the line "I feel I gotta be up on the roof". And it's all over. Thirteen years of hurt (the doctor thinks it's RSI). Was it worth it? Yes it was.
Pretty points:






Nuts-ometer:









Thanks Kate. See you in 2018!