Album Review: David Bowie - The Next Day

David Bowie
The Next Day
Rating: Grrrr

From its defacing of the iconic album cover for "Heroes," The Next Day, David Bowie's 24th studio album and first record in 10 years, immediately announces itself as presenting the modern age Bowie through the refracted lens of his past work, specifically his storied Berlin trilogy. At 66, Bowie is no longer the restless chameleon who changed his persona and musical direction with each record; no longer does Bowie set trends or even attempt to stay in touch with current trends. The Next Day finally shows Bowie being comfortable with being Bowie, able to make music on his own terms without great expectations. Though this is Bowie's most relaxed set of music in years, perhaps decades, thematically it is one of his most introspective and melancholic, with these 14 tracks contemplating the past and the affects of age and memory, an album haunted by the ghosts.

First single "Where Are We Now?" is an emotional journey for Bowie, back 40 years to his time in Berlin, finding him "walking the dead;" the somber instrumentation adding to the weight of his memories. The ending of the track builds to an almost unbearable crescendo, as if the waves of memory upon him are too much to bear.



While second single "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" is a dissection of current celebrity culture, seen through the eyes of a man who has lived through and experienced that rise first hand, where even out of the spotlight, "Stars are never sleeping/Dead ones and the living."



Aching and gorgeous, "You Feel So Lonely You Could Die" could be a tale of youthful arrogance and indifference paid back in kind by loneliness and regret in old age.



A lot of the tracks on The Next Day can be paired back with Bowie personas of the past. Sinister and edgy, "Dirty Boys"' skronk and pomp would fit neatly on The Lodger, while first and title track "The Next Day" recalls the clinical, robotic rhythms of his work on Station to Station, and "If You Can See Me" even works in a homage to Bowie's 90s fascination with jungle and drum and bass.



You could spend a vast majority of time trying to play spot the reference with this record. While this can be interesting and fun, it can ultimately detract from the most striking thing about this record, which is that with Bowie no longer attempting to be relevant, he has actually made his most relevant music in decades. Even in reflecting on the past and the dark nature of his themes, there is a lot of life in these tracks. "Boss of Me" is a dense, throbbing song underscored by nimble bass work and sax flourishes, bursting into the light on the roaring chorus.



Rockers "How Does The Grass Grow?" and "Valentine's Day," despite their rather gloomy subjects, war and school shootings respectively, each has a swagger and ease that are never heavy handed or forced. Only on a couple of tracks do cracks begin to show. "I'd Rather Be High" feels like a throwaway track with a rather pedestrian melody, while "Dancing Out In Space" is lamentably banal and silly.

But overall, The Next Day is a remarkable return to form for Bowie, a wonderful collection of past-referencing tracks that still sound fresh and modern without trying to sound that way. It's too soon to say whether this record is meant to be Bowie's last; the constant reflection on past personas and musical directions lead one to think that this is sort of a career ending retrospective. But somehow, I am sure this is the last we will hear of him. And even if it is his last record, it is a remarkable one to go out on.

Rating Scale:

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and piques one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.