MANILA, Philippines - Here are two musical acts that make every appearance an occasion — assuming personas, and donning costumes as needed. The headdress worn by one member of Empire of the Sun is his signature look for concerts and TV appearances; while rock veteran David Bowie has a long history of stretching his identity with each album, throughout his long career. I remember first getting into Bowie’s music during his Ziggy Stardust/Spiders from Mars phase, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London is now exhibiting a retrospective of his career.
Empire of the Sun — Ice on the Dune (Astralwerks/Universal). This is the ultimate when it comes to electronica-meets-pop version 2013, and the music is euphoric, charming, commercial and entertaining. There are times the music sounds like what the Pet Shop Boys and Human League would be like if they were reincarnated in today’s music scene; and at other times, the music (as in Alive) had me thinking of Foster the People but on a grander, symphonic scale.
DNA, Awakening and Surround Sound are my other favorite tracks, but what the CD does enjoy is amazing consistency given the little shifts in the kind of music being created. I hear the live performances of the band are also something to behold, like a crazy Las Vegas light show. While two persons essentially make up Empire, the synthesizer programming and complex arrangements make for a great “wall of sound.â€
David Bowie — The Next Day (ISO/Columbia). After more than a decade of studio silence, the new CD comes as a major surprise. With music that’s solid, muscular and contemporary, the songs manage to impress as fresh, while still harking to the musical output that we’ve loved for some four decades now. In fact, this notion of looking forward, obliterating the past, is best represented by the cover art that jokingly defaces his revered Heroes album.
Where Are We Now and The Stars (Are Out Tonight) are the first two singles released, and they show the diversity of the music to be discovered. A double CD release, The Next Day zoomed to the very top of the UK Albums chart when it was released a few months ago. While I wouldn’t herald it as the second coming, it does prove Bowie still has it, and isn’t just living on his legacy, his musical past.