On Friday, Sept. 5, David Byrne’s eighth core studio album “Who Is The Sky?” hit streaming platforms.
It’s been seven years since Byrne’s last studio album “American Utopia,” but he did not sit idly as time passed.
Byrne engaged with various artistic endeavors, including the release of his book “A History of the World (in Dingbats).” He also celebrated the 40th anniversary of his hit album “Stop Making Sense” with the release of a tribute album and rerelease of the 1984 movie concert.
“Who Is The Sky?” is backed entirely by the Ghost Train Orchestra, a Brooklyn-based ensemble that’s been around since 2006, who will be joining Byrne on his tour.
The album also features Paramore’s lead singer, Hayley Williams.
During a Sept. 4 interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Byrne talks about his unconventional approach to pop music.
“I have this belief that it’s possible to do radical, or new things and still make a pop song. It doesn’t have to be a formula,” Byrne said.
“Who Is The Sky?” does not stray from this sentiment. When listening to this album, I was reminded of why I love Byrne’s music. His ability to sing about the human collective consciousness, while playing weird instruments, making weird sounds and laughing is refreshing.
The album’s opening track and first single “Everybody Laughs” is the epitome of the album and my personal favorite song. The song starts with Byrne counting off in his signature tone of voice and transports the listener to a new reality.
“Everybody Laughs” prepares one for listening to a Byrne album, reminding listeners of playfulness, joy and connection.
“Everybody laughs and everybody cries. Everybody lives and everybody dies,” sings Byrne.
The album then transitions into a more dissident and less melodic tone, with tracks like “When We Are Singing” and “My Apartment Is My Friend.” These tracks start to delve into the main topic of this album: Byrne’s partner.
During the press tour for the release of “Who Is The Sky?,” Byrne revealed that he got engaged to his partner, Mala Gaonkar, and the couple has since tied the knot. Byrne’s relationship to Gaonkar is the through line of this album.
The next track on the album, “A Door Called No,” begins with layered string instruments and horns in the distance, creating a sound reminiscent of fairytales.
The feeling conjured by “A Door Called No” is in stark contrast to the next track, “What Is The Reason For It?” It completely shifts the vibe of the album.
“What Is The Reason For It?” is a mariachi-inspired song with a fast tempo, piercing trumpets and a bouncy melody. After a relatively slow-paced start to the album, this track quickly reminded me of Byrne’s outrageous capacity for creativity.
The next four tracks hold true to Byrne’s quirky sense of humor. “I Met The Buddha at a Downtown Party” tells a story of just that — meeting Buddha at a bar. However, this Buddha is gorging himself with sweets.
Byrne attempts to give the Buddha some advice, but is humbled when the Buddha explains that no one has the answers to life, not even him.
The album continues with more unusual Byrne tracks. “The Avant Garde” has a spooky sound, creating a sense of awe and fear about the abstract concept of the avant-garde, which then shifts into a jubilant chorus where Byrne criticizes this category of art.
“It’s deceptively weighty, profoundly absurd,” sings Byrne.
The album ends, in true Byrne fashion, with an intense juxtaposition. A love song to his partner, “She Explains Things To Me,” with an acoustic sound, followed by “The Truth,” an inquisitive song about fearing the truth backed by an EDM and hand drums mix.
“Who is the Sky?” will carry me through the dark, dreary winter days that are soon to come. With joy and introspection as the leading sounds of everything Byrne does, he has once again created a microcosm of the human experience.
