David Byrne - Who Is The Sky?

“Love explains a story told to fool yourself”.

David Byrne’s career has spanned many decades, genres, projects and even art forms. His latest output is Who Is The Sky?, his latest solo studio album, set to release September 5th via Matador Records. This record is Byrne’s first in seven years, and once again demonstrates the former Talking Heads frontman’s deeply unique artistic identity.

In a music scene, and a world, largely dominated by darker topics and tones, Who Is The Sky stands out significantly with its vibrant, colorful, positive nature. The album is packed with bouncy rhythms, big, bright instrumentals and fun, somewhat absurdist storytelling. Byrne’s songwriting is as intriguing as ever, continuing to bridge the gap between the easy-to-understand and the borderline impenetrable. Many of the tracks represent their own brief narratives, such as “I Met The Buddha at a Downtown Party” or “She Explains Things To Me”, but they all fall into the record’s overarching themes of the mysteries of love, the differences in people’s perceptions of life, and more. The writing isn’t overly complex, but it serves its purpose in getting across the messaging.

The arrangements, for which Byrne enlists the assistance of large ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, are beautifully chaotic. The diverse instruments layered onto the tracks give the songs a grand, sprawling feel, which really wraps itself around the listener and plunges them face-first into the shimmering, whimsical, captivatingly weird world of Who Is The Sky. The only slight flaw on the production end is the fact the vocals are, at times, a little too loud in the mixes; other than that, though, the sound of this record is amazing, experimental and bizarre in a uniquely David Byrne way. The most notable contributor on this record aside from Byrne and the Ghost Train Orchestra is Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams, who makes a guest appearance on the track “What Is The Reason For It?”. Williams’ vocals combine perfectly with Byrne’s, making for a catchy, anthemic track. 

Overall, Who Is The Sky? is a solid late-career record, and a very good comeback album for Byrne. He proves with this LP that he is still more than capable of producing something captivating and entertaining. The Ghost Train Orchestra were a perfect choice of collaborators, too, bringing Byrne’s visions to life with their masterful instrumental work. It’s not exactly a groundbreaking record, but it is a project that is sure to put a smile on your face and make you want to revisit it again and again.

7.5/10