Earthling

The Thin White Duke is back! Earthling is Bowie's best work since Scary Monsters. Bowie has always been good at taking aspects of fringe music and weaving those aspects into something all his own. Utilizing tinges of techno, jazz, jungle, and industrial sounds, Earthling is a very ambitious album that really delivers. You can tell Bowie's last tour with Nine Inch Nails made a significant impact on this album. Earthling is one of Bowie's edgiest works to date. The heaviness of "I'm Afraid of Americans" is something to behold. Reeves Gabrells' (Tin Machine) rich and chaotic guitar work on the song is truly amazing. Other stand-out songs on Earthling include "Dead Man Walking", "Little Wonder", "Law", and "Seven Years in Tibet".

Once again, David Bowie has bridged the gap between pop and fringe. This coming from a man who has hit age fifty. It's rather incredible. To keep creating progressive music is not an easy feat to accomplish. Earthling is indeed a solid record that deserves consideration. - Ben Reed