Fans have been wondering something along those lines about David Bowie for years now. He’s one of pop’s most hyper-active stars who, before Tuesday, had been m.i.a. for what seems like eons.
In fact, a full decade has passed since one of pop’s most prolific artists has released a full, new CD. In the meantime, rumors have swirled that he may be ill, or “having work done,” or any explanation you can imagine save being idle or waiting patiently for inspiration.
It’s with significant relief, then, that Bowie resurfaces today - his 66th birthday - to release a spanking new single, and to float the news that he’ll unfurl his first full CD since 2003’s “Reality” in March.
Titled “The Next Day,” the disc was produced in New York by Tony Visconti, who pacted with Bowie on some of his seminal works of the ‘70s.
The first single, and corresponding video, takes the all-too-relevant title “Where Are We Know?” It’s an anthem of dislocation, with a suitably hauting look and sound.
Sonically, it couldn’t be more somber or troubled. Slowly, gracefully, Bowie sings in a voice of genuine gravity. The song’s video paints him as equally pained and burdoned.
Both the visuals and lyrics return the star to a key, earlier location in his life: Berlin. Back in 1977 - when the city was still divided by a wall - Bowie recorded important and probing albums like “Heroes” and “Low.” In the lyrics to the new song, Bowie takes us through the streets while, in the video, black and white images of the city flicker. It’s not the bright Berlin of today but instead the walled one that existed back when Bowie first roamed its platzes and squares.
Like the songs off “Low,” there’s a heaviness here, a mood he credibly renders. While the song’s down-beat sound and subject may hardly herald the rousing come-back some may have hoped for, it taps into Bowie’s depth and daring He’s not playing a reborn rocker or pop star, but instead, reclaiming his most enduring role - as an engrossing artist.
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