Music Review: David Bowie - "Blackstar"

David Bowie. What is there to say about Bowie that hasn't been said before? His music over the span of his multi-decades long career has been as ever evolving and changing as his personal style and fashion statements. Truly, there is little Bowie can do wrong, having long ago mastered the art of mystery and the grace of drawing in fans with an allure that we still can't fully put a finger on. Through memorable characters like Ziggy Stardust and The Thin White Duke, Bowie has easily championed the art of personal branding. More so, very few (if any, to be brutally honest) artists can suddenly disappear without a single word, no hints, only whispers of "Is he? Will he? Can he?" murmured in dark shadows magically reappear in full splendor, picking up somehow where they left off, fans still there and eager for what comes next. That was Bowie in 2013 when, on his birthday of January 8th, his first new song in years came to life, bringing the shocking revelation that his first new album following a long and silent ten year hiatus, The Next Day, would be released very soon. And now, three years later to the date, Bowie will release his follow-up album to that immensely successful album - Blackstar. Among the tracks is lead self-titled single, "Blackstar."

David Bowie, 2015, still ageless as ever

"Blackstar" was originally born from a project involving Bowie and the British television series The Last Panthers, with the song itself serving as the title track for the show and being an embodiment of the characters and themes of the show. From that initial work, Bowie has ventured to create the entirety of this next album around that concept, mixing in earlier influences and crafting what may well be one of Bowie's less obvious and more peculiar works.

The near ten minute opus begins peaceful enough, a dancing guitar tune matched to a mysterious, almost ethereal arrangement. Bowie's voice enters, his ageless croon set in octaves, adding an element of mystique, for lack of a better word. The stage is set for something that makes you a little uncomfortable - it's the familiarity of Bowie, mixed with something a little sinister and unsettling, but you can't quite place it. You listen on, determined to figure out what it is.

There's an otherworldly effect to the beginning of "Blackstar" (which matches perfectly to the opening scenes of the accompanying music video). The song maintains its otherworldly ethereal pace as the video itself comes upon Bowie with his eyes wrapped in cloth and two black "pupils" attached, as if he were a blind seer.

Imagery in the video becomes progressively darker and more disturbing, from skeleton astronauts to figures moving as if they were seizing as they stood. All the while, the music retains its ethereal feel, mixing in a solemn saxophone. An odd mixture, yet still fitting.

As the first four minutes conclude, things slow down, the music drops to mainly a slowed drum beat, the transition mirrored by an unmasked Bowie in the accompanying video. Shed away is the mysterious music, filled instead with a more optimistic arrangement - hope. Gone, too, is the almost ominous feeling octave vocal harmonies, leaving Bowie's perfect, crisp voice instead. By this point, the music returns to a similarity of the Bowie of old - funk-inspired bass above a moving drum beat set to smooth vocals, mixed with sprinklings of piano and guitar almost reminiscent of The Next Day single "Where Are We Now?"

The remainder of the song continues in this fashion ending on a digital beeping sound much like the noise a robot in 80s television would make, demonstrating Bowie's refusal to make the same kind of song over and over, constantly changing and evolving. This is why Bowie can get away with a ten year silent hiatus and come back to being in the spotlight instantly. The one complaint? The post-transitional portion of the music video does Bowie no visual favors.

Blackstar the album will be released January 8, 2016. Pre-orders are live through David Bowie's online webstore and include limited edition lithographs and clear vinyl. What will be interesting to see is how the rest of the album shapes up. As was seen with The Next Day, the lead single was not a clear indication for the rest of the album's style and flow. Time will soon surely tell, but I think it's safe to say that whatever David Bowie has cooked up, it'll be great.