Before news hit about David Bowie’s passing, we had planned a post about the posivibes his most recent album, Blackstar, had received from the media. Although there is so much more to talk about in the wake of his death, we still want to acknowledge the haunted beauty of his last album.
After a prolonged and incredibly secretive development, Bowie’s latest record finally hit stores January 8th—and as the reviews rolled in, it became clear the majority verdict holds that Bowie’s Blackstar both honors the artist’s reputation and successfully deviates from his traditional sound. The Los Angeles Times offered an insider’s look at the album’s development, and we shared our own inside peek in our latest installment of Sound & Vision, an interview with legendary producer Tony Visconti, who worked with Bowie on the new album.
The Guardian published an overwhelmingly positive review that examines the record and the way in which the media is receiving Bowie’s new releases. Pitchfork’s review concludes that Blackstar’s “mix of jazz, malice, and historical role-play is intoxicating,” and that the album shows Bowie “making the most of his latest reawakening, adding to the myth while the myth is his to hold.” The Chicago Tribune focuses on the genesis and evolution of Bowie’s collaboration with jazz musicians , and the AV Club’s review says that “with its simple (though oblique) lyrics and endlessly repeated choruses, it’s a secret pop record submerged in the dark places of studio improvisation.”
Watch the video for the titular track below.
