David Byrne - Who Is The Sky? 

How often can an album be described as a victim of its accompanying tour’s success? David Byrne’s last record, ‘American Utopia’, will surely be remembered for the magnificence of its live show (which ended up on Broadway) first, and its actual songs second. It remains to be seen exactly what the former Talking Heads frontman has in store when he takes this latest LP, ‘Who Is the Sky?’, on the road, which at least means that for the time being, we can enjoy it for what it is; a typically playful, often infectious pop record.

Everything is a touch off-kilter in Byrne’s world - if he has even ever been on-kilter - a fact that remains the case this time around. Of key importance is that this is a collaborative effort with Ghost Train Orchestra, a 15-piece New York City ensemble who have helped him to weave a musical patchwork quilt out of his demos, along with production assistance from Kid Harpoon. When it works, the results are rich and joyous, as on the opening one-two of ‘Everybody Laughs’ and the psych-tinged ‘When We Are Singing’.

There are other collaborations, too; Hayley Williams duets on the sultry ‘What Is the Reason for It?’ - which probably leans a little too far into Dean Martin’s ‘Sway’ for comfort - while there are backing vocals elsewhere from his old friend, St Vincent. But ‘Who Is the Sky?’ is at its best when David Byrne is just being David Byrne - writing love letters to his apartment, or bumping into Buddha at a party and giving him a piece of his mind. He is nothing if not a one-off.