New Bowie is Brilliant

David Bowie
The Next Day
ISO/Columbia; 2013

Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs aren’t so much classic albums in the listenable sense as they are cultural touchstones and products of distinct periods in David Bowie’s remarkable career. More than any other musician of his generation, his albums cry out for context to be fully appreciated, and The Next Day, his latest, is no exception. Knowing that it’s not only his 27th album, but his first in 10 years (and 5 years since undergoing emergency surgery after a severely blocked artery), or that it directly references his infamous Berlin period lyrically, musically, and visually (the cover art is a post-modern emendation of “Heroes”) isn’t necessary to enjoyment, but it does reveal the richer dimensions that make The Next Day such an astounding recording. After spending the ‘60s and ‘70s defining rock, fashion, and culture, ensuing decades saw him pack stadiums on the strength of some fairly pedestrian material before struggling to stay relevant with some misguided forays into hard rock and electronica. The Next Day, then, finds the world having come round to his abiding vision, one that puts artistic action before empty posturing. The wisely chosen first single, “Where Are We Now?”, is the kind of ruminative ballad we’ve been longing for Bowie to make for years, and it doesn’t disappoint. Over piano chords that start simply before taking an illogical turn for the alien, Bowie simultaneously comforts and unsettles with some of the most heartbreaking lyrics he’s ever written, where “walking the dead” becomes just as prosaic an activity as brushing one’s teeth. The rest of the album finds his inimitable voice in similarly excellent fettle, whether he’s shouting through the urgent title track or lending his smooth croon to other standouts like “Valentine’s Day” and “The Stars (Are Out Tonight).” — T. Bennison