David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky? reviewed: former Talking Head has fun wrestling with big conundrums
No possible new endeavour is too far-fetched… Such is the diversity of David Byrne’s projects since Talking Heads’ split in 1991, it can feel like no possible new endeavour is too far-fetched. Now that American Utopia and Here Lies Love have finished their runs, maybe it’s time for a Broadway musical about the turbulent childhood of Tristan Tzara? Or else an art photography book of textile factories in South Carolina? And surely there’s an album of New Orleans bounce to be made with Diplo and Big Freedia, and possibly a weekly column of recipes for the New York Times? The fact that none of these options seem particularly outlandish makes the relatively straightforward nature of his latest release all the more remarkable. Byrne’s first studio album since 2018’s American Utopia, Who Is The Sky? consists of 12 robustly performed pop songs, almost all of them under three and a half minutes in length. Though several contain stories – like the one about the Buddha scarfing down too many canapes – none serves a single overarching concept or occupies a role within a cross-platform project. Instead, they have been designed for humbler aims, whether it’s to amuse, to delight or to… Read More →
