“The Next Day” acknowledges David Bowie’s past while being a definitive next step that can stand proudly among his best works.
Give the Thin White Duke the credit he deserves for pulling the wool over all of our eyes for so long. Allegedly, this album has been in the works for two years. The fact that he managed to keep it under wraps for that long in the era of Internet and leaked tracks is astounding.
When his 24th album was announced on his 66th birthday, there was understandably lots of reason for anticipation. Bowie was reunited with his longtime producer Tony Visconit and created his first new album since “Reality.” The pressure would be on David Bowie to try to sound like David Bowie and it would result in a half-hearted, jumbled mess much like Reality.
The Next Day is not that album. This isn’t a phoned in attempt on touching the magic of his past days. The Next Day both acknowledges his past while being a definitive next step that can stand proudly among his best works.
The track opener “Next Day” lets us know immediately that Bowie’s back, and bringing his A-game to the party. There is no one era of his music Bowie isn’t willing to explore but never does any of this album feel like it’s simply retreading old ideas.
“If You Can See Me” simultaneously invokes the wall of sound magic of his Berlin Trilogy albums with Brian Eno, while being an innovative piece of psychedelic pop rock. “Valentine’s Day” is a crooning plastic-soul love song that flitst with a touch of glam. The singles “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” and “Where Are We Now?” couldn’t be anymore different with the former going for a clautosphic funk rock groove and the later being an introspective piano ballad. About the only decade of musical influences that he doesn’t visit is his awkward industrial phase, and the album maybe all the better for it.
But what makes all this sampling standout is the delivery. Bowie brings an unflinching confidence and his trademark swagger in each vocal delivery. From a low groan to a swelling wail, to his shrill bark calling back the old Ziggy Stardust days, Bowie holds nothing back. That’s not to say they’re aren’t any dull moments. “I’d Rather Be High”, “Boss Of Me” and “Dancing Out In Space” are burdened by flat and uninteresting choruses, and feel more like half-finished ideas for songs. But the good far outweighs the bad and speed bumps are quick, and glam rock numbers like “(You Will) Set The World On Fire” make them worth while.
The album closes out with the beautiful pop piano piece “You Will Feel So Lonely You Could Die”, and a space-tinged sonic callback to his first breakthrough “Space Oddity” in “Heat”.
The Next Day offers plenty of nostalgia for longtime Bowie fans while never sounding like a simple best-of collection. David Bowie demonstrates the proper way to do a comeback, and with hope he may stick around this time. It’s been a long couple of decades Mr. Bowie. Here’s to a few more.
