David Bowie: Reality

By Derek Wright

There’s a bit of all of us in David Bowie.

How else can you describe a person who has made a living channeling his innermost chameleon, releasing music with as many styles and faces as he has fans?

-His current release, ironically entitled, “Reality,” again shows the ability to create an atmospheric trip deep within the eye of Bowie’s mind. The trip is propelled by guitars, anchored by engaging vocals and sprinkled with delicate piano.

Beginning with the opener, “New Killer Star,” a passionate Bowie seems as exposed as a vulnerable Ziggy Stardust might have been. Each note furthers a fantasy and feels more settling than the last, ultimately creating a lush experience the listener won’t want to leave.

A soul-baring cry of disparity heard in the title track, “Look for sense/ But get next to nothing/ Welcome to reality,” exhibits a familiar side of the compassionate misfit.

Songs such as “Bring Me the Disco King” and “The Loneliest Guy” provide possibly the most elegant piano work since 1973’s “Aladdin Sane.”

Circular guitar rifts, driving solos and crunching chords, all best exhibited on “Looking For Water,” provide the foundation for this guitar-heavy record.

Covers of Jonathan Richman and George Harrison can be found woven within some of Bowie’s purest rock ‘n’ roll to date.

This album succeeds where prior releases “Earthling” (1997) and “Heathen” (2002) have failed. The aura is one of connection and intimacy. The 50 minutes of “Reality” feel more like a personal conversation than a presentation.