David Bowie - Blackstar

Artist: David Bowie
Album: Blackstar
Year: 2016
Rating: 90/100

With the passing of David Bowie still fresh in the mind of any and every self respecting music fan at the time of this review going to press, the reality of "Blackstar" being the great man's swansong album is the bitterest pill for many to swallow. His legacy can't be understated, as without him, we would never have had the likes of Bauhaus, the Cure, the Pixies, Sonic Youth, Joy Division, the Killers, Pulp, Marilyn Manson and many, many more.

The album gets going with the title track, a sprawling, ten minute melange of minimalist, sparse accompaniment, punctuated with sax and guitar here and there. It's dark, it's experimental, but most importantly, it shows that Bowie has always been capable of balancing both of these aspects of his work while keeping the tightest focus on his songwriting, From a lyrical perspective, "Lazarus" seems almost to pre-empt his death with lines such as "Look up here man, I'm in danger/I've got nothing left to lose/I'm so high it makes my brain whirl/Drop myself on down below", with the closing line "I'll be free, just like that bluebird" leading into a simply outstanding sax solo showing that even in the throes of what is his final studio album, he still was unafraid to try new things. Elsewhere, "Sue (Or In A Season of Crime)" is another dark, jazzy number punctuated with outstanding jazz drumming and stabs of guitar here and there, "Dollar Days" exudes the weary wisdom that can be heard in Bowie's voice, while closing number "I Can't Give Everything Away" is a melancholic closer set against a much more musically uplifting backdrop, with harmonica and sax breaks. Unsurprisingly, it's this closing number that provides the album's most touching moment.

David Bowie may have known that his time wasn't long while he was recording "Blackstar" but his creative well was a long way off running dry, as it well shows. "Blackstar" is a superb album that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as "Hunky Dory", "Diamond Dogs", "Station to Station", "Low" and "Heroes". A fitting way to end his passage on this planet, and an excellent album all round.

Track Listing:

1. Blackstar
2. 'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore
3. Lazarus
4. Sue (Or In A Season of Crime)
5. Girl Loves Me
6. Dollar Days
7. I Can't Give Everything Away