Heathen

There's more than a hint of things turning full circle in the 21st century's first original David Bowie full- length album. On HEATHEN, Bowie not only reunites with co-producer Tony Visconti, but within the first 15 minutes references his '70s hit Heroes in the suitably smoldering Slow Burn, and turns around late co-conspirator John Lennon's God in Afraid (I believe in Beatles). Bowie wisely gives himself the space to toy with old R&B rhythms and weighty, pre-punk guitar riffs, juxtaposing Bjork-like string sections with looped rock drums and hissing synth backgrounds on I Would Be Your Slave, while coyly harking back to his Ziggy Stardust persona on I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spaceship. A Better Future features a chirpy '60s arrangement underlying the sort of fallout-saturated pop ditty that might one day become a favorite of the protagonists of Drive-in Saturday. As you might expect from a Bowie/Visconti collaboration, the production is both high-tech and down-and-dirty--one minute all overloaded mics and booming drums, the next all chiming synths and breathy backing vocals. Featuring smartly chosen guests Pete Townshend and Dave Grohl, HEATHEN is a righteous return to form from an erratic but consistently intriguing pop master.