David Bowie
Columbia / ISO
The music industry has gone 10 long years without hearing so much as a peep from rock music icon David Bowie. The man formerly known as Ziggy Stardust has kept a relatively low profile since releasing 2003’s Reality, enjoying life in Manhattan with his supermodel wife and their child close by. There were doubts as to whether fans would ever hear from the “thin white duke” again. Much to everyone’s surprise, Bowie had returned with the first release of new material in a decade with The Next Day. To the delight of listeners, the man has broken his silence, still showing he has something to prove with his music.
Bowie kicks the door down right from the get-go with the album’s title track — a straightforward, stomping rocker. “Here I am/Not quite dying,” he sings forcefully over a steady backbeat and string accents. There are a number of similar moments contained within the listen as well, showing that Bowie hasn’t lost his step within the style. “I’d Rather Be High” is a mid-tempo groover with some excellent vocal harmonies, while “If You Can See Me” sees Bowie unleash his experimental side in what is a truly manic musical display.
There are also a number of moments on the record where Bowie decides to shy away from the straightforward rock a bit. “Boss of Me” features some nice work from a backing choir, a jazzy saxophone, and some incredible bass guitar work from none other than Tony Levin. “You Feel So Lonely You Could Die” is a wonderful number, waltzing the listener every which way before halting the madness with a smooth, minimal outro. One of the album’s most serene moments is “Where Are We Now?”, a dreamy, introspective mid-tempo tune with some truly inspired instrumentation and arrangement. The louder, rocking moments are enjoyable, while the quieter parts contain a certain beauty that has remained unique to Bowie’s music for years. In short, he’s still got it.
The Next Day is a wonderful addition to David Bowie’s extensive back catalogue, and a very praiseworthy comeback, indeed.
This is not the ‘70s rock ‘n’ roll heyday Bowie, the dancy ‘80s pop star, or the odd, musically adventurous man of the 1990s. On the contrary, I believe The Next Day is all of these career stages rolled into one, all appearing at different stages in the listen. Welcome back, Bowie. We missed you.
