I opted for "just" the regular CD with the mp3 and FLAC option as I can't justify spending the extra $58 for four extra songs. I wanted it very badly, but it just doesn't make sense - that's $14.25 a song. But what we get in the standard 11-song set is pure, unadulterated Byrne/Eno brilliance. Maybe it's a little early to say it's some of Byrne's best material in a long time, but I feel confident saying it's an album I'm going to be returning to slightly more often than his others - that Eno touch has done something amazing once again. What we get is late-model Byrne song-writing. This clearly isn't Talking Heads - at most, you could suggest that Byrne has been working in Naked mode since they disbanded, and nothing here will trick anyone into thinking the Heads were back together.
If you're a fan of Eno's album with John Cale, Wrong Way Up, or Eno's recent solo vocal album, Another Day On Earth, you may have an idea of what you're getting, style-wise, with Everything That Happens. As David Byrne suggests, Eno was responsible for most of the music, while he merely contributed lyrics and tunes. Having only had it a number of hours, I really can't say much about the whole other than that it's beautiful. It might not be too early to say it's some of Byrne's best work in ages after all, and definitely will rank among the best of the year.
Article comments