Hours, David Bowie

From Outside to Earthling, which were released only two years apart in the late 1990s, the rock & roll chameleon did his best to keep pace with fleeting dance trends, jumping straight from the persona of a post-grunge industrial phantom into that of a drum & bass beatmeister. While both albums were respectable representations of each genre, by switching directions with such angularity, the CDs were ultimately more costume than camouflage. With Hours... David Bowie updates his musical wardrobe, but for the first time in his career he drops the facade. The album is a real-life memoir of loss, regret, and repentance. He boldly intertwines trip-hop rhythms, new-wave nods, Reeves Gabrels's wondrously odd guitar riffs, slow, deliberate ambient tempos, and atmospheric synth accents, all while maintaining a cohesive, otherworldly pop appeal. The CD marks the completion of an ironic circle, where Bowie draws inspiration from contemporary trends borne out of a musical style he invented decades ago. Looks like Major Tom has finally found his way home, and what a gorgeous homecoming it is.

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