![]() ![]() What rubs some up the wrong way will doubtlessly be enjoyed by others, particularly those already familiar with the childlike charm which has always featured in Byrne’s music. Combined with a rich choral arrangement and a typically off-kilter break, the result is strangely tasteful. Other times, his musings seem awkwardly random, such as the references to chickens, roosters and donkey dicks on Every Day Is a Miracle – an otherwise uplifting track with tropical overtones that recalls the eccentric joy of the Talking Heads. “ Doggy dances doing doodie/ Doggy dreaming all day long” we hear on Dog’s Mind, a line delivered in two-part harmony over cinematic sweeps of choir-like synths. For such weighty subject material, some of Byrne’s lyrics can seem irreverent. Far from despairing, American Utopia’s many-faced art-pop sincerely entertains the possibility of better worlds, even on the verge of the superpower’s collapse. ![]() “ I’m working on my dancing/ This is the best I can do” he croons. However, the sunny opening chords of I Dance Like This quickly establish that in spite of everything, Byrne’s heart is still warm, and filled with hope. Given the daily agony of the Trump Presidency, American Utopia will likely strike many as an ironic, embittered title for his first true solo LP since 2004’s Grown Backwards. Byrne then will embark on a world tour that kicks off June 22-23 in Prague, Czech Republic, and runs through late July.Like all of us, David Byrne is living through a traumatic chapter in American history. He will appear this month at Lollapalooza festivals in Santiago, Chile (March 16), Buenos Aires, Argentina (March 18), and São Paulo, Brazil (March 24), followed by concerts in Guadalajara, Mexico (April 7), Indio, California (April 14, 21), and Atlanta (May 4-5). A video companion piece to “Everybody’s Coming To My House” that’s in keeping with Byrne’s famously quirky concepts about visual art can be viewed here.īyrne has scheduled a series of choreographed live concerts that he describes as the most ambitious shows he has undertaken since the 1983 Talking Heads performances that were filmed to make the movie and album Stop Making Sense. The process of writing and recording the material for American Utopia was an evolution that began with longtime collaborator Eno and grew to include collaboration with producer Rodaidh McDonald and a cast of creative contributors, including electronic musicians Daniel Lopatin and Jam City, keyboardist/producer Thomas Bartlett, vocalist/keyboardist Sampha, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jack Peñate, saxophonist Isaiah Barr and others. And he shows a seasoned singer’s respect for intonation-dig how accurately and brilliantly his high B-flat rings out on “Bullet.” Listeners can hear him holding certain notes for a longer duration (especially at the ends of phrases), utilizing the voice in a more musical manner. It’s a voice that has aged well since Byrne’s days as an angry, quirky young tenor fronting Talking Heads. The music, which, like much of Byrne’s work, reflects the influence of producer/programmer Brian Eno, combines highly ambient sounds and textures with Byrne’s trademark vocals. The 10 songs here, all original Byrne compositions bearing an air of optimism, are an attempt to depict the world in which we live and ask, “Is there another way?” ![]() American Utopia refers not to a specific utopia, but the longing, frustration, aspirations, fears, desires and hopes of those of us who hold onto the American Dream and refuse to succumb to despair or cynicism during these times of cultural upheaval. There is no irony in the title of David Byrne’s new solo album, his first since 2004’s Grown Backwards (Nonesuch). David Byrne American Utopia (Todomundo/Nonesuch)
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