No wait!
Bag Raiders-Golden Wings
How did I live without spotify?
I just put the new Steven Wilson, "4 1/2," on hold to check out both of your suggestions. Synthdreampop Sans Singing, really? Trevor, would you BUY that music and listen to it again in 2 years?
Speaking of music I may not listen to again in 2 years, the Wilson thing is really good, but there are other of his efforts I would always reach for first.
The new Bowie is sonically a really fun and interesting go 'round. The songs and the lyrics are definitely neither. The most memorable moments are all the performances of the players. I'm not excluding Davey Jones' vocals from that category at all. However, there's no tune you want to play again, immediately, and there are no melodies or passages that stick with you.
There are a lot of rather dull and indulgent Bowie albums from the 90's and the past 15 years. That whole "I Hate Americans" thing was kinda weird, especially since most of his fans and money came from here. There are also a few really good albums, like '03's "Reality, or the following year's "Earthling."
If you like the previous Bowie release, you will probably like this one, musically. I will listen to it a couple more times, but I doubt it will stay in the house out of anything more than respect.
There are some really wild things going on here, like his Crosby-esque crooning voice, at ballad tempo, floating above the awesome band playing in what seems like quadruple time to his melody's tempo.
The tunes are all about checking out. The cd cover copy, (all of it!) is printed gloss black on matte black, so you have to bend it to read it. The songs include titles "Lazarus," "'Tis a Pity," and "I Can't Give Everything Away," so in case there was lingering doubt about what was on his mind...
A friend said that same thing made the last Warren Zevon albums a bit too dark to take. His first album is dark, but always with a sense of humor. There was tons of irony in Bowie, but not much humor-----wit, yes. I can't think of an image of Bowie smiling.
If you still like your R & R raw, like I do, check out Royal Blood. They are not my first choice of a "band." A Rock & Roll "band" is 4 people; 2 guitars, bass and drums, and at least 2 vocals. A three-piece or a keyboard player as 4th were OK. Of course, 5 was even better, but less of a feat, to me.
When The White Stripes became huge, I thought the world had lost its mind. You can't have a two-piece band. Well, you can, but it sounds like The White Stripes (If you live long enough, that happens all the time). He's not good enough a player or singer, she sure isn't a drummer, and the writing is mediocre.
These two "kids" are listenable in a way I didn't find Jack White. They both sing, and the (guitar and drum) playing and writing are better. And they're fun---the way AC/DC completely intends for their music to be, or Cheap Trick, or ZZ Top, MCR, or the Foos. I am on my 3rd consecutive spin of Royal Blood. It's shitloads of fun!
'sbout time Cheap Trick got inducted! They never forgot it was Rock 'n' Roll.