Review: 'Where are we now?' promotional single - David Bowie

Massive news David Bowie fans! Today, the newly 66 year old rock legend released his first new music since 2003's Reality and announced a new LP for release in March. I'm (more than likely) getting ahead of myself, but I wouldn't be surprised if a world tour announcement wasn't too far away either (I live in hope…).

Like many, I have fallen in love with much of the wide array of sounds Bowie has produced over the years (The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars in particular); and this track is exciting not so much for its individual brilliance (of which it is reasonably well stocked) but for what it may mean. With Bowie long being a recluse stubborn in his self-imposed exile; frustrated fans have endured years with no new music, minimal communication, sporadic public appearances and performances and nothing but (albeit vivid) memories of former greatness to sustain them. Luckily for these devotees, Bowie's return to the studio is quite solid, making use of the classic piano sounds and melancholy lyrics that we all know him for, and sporting a weird and vaguely nihilistic film clip which takes us on a journey through Bowie-history-rich Berlin.

Similar to the Rolling Stones' 2012 single 'Doom and gloom'; 'Where are we now' doesn't break any new ground, but it successfully pays homage to its author's past greatness and, to a degree, recalls the sound that gets us excited before we've heard a single note. It's vintage Bowie, sad and reflective, a bit strange and very catchy.

Opinion is already divided on the value of this piece (stay away from the YouTube comments if you're a Bowie fan, it's fairly balanced but you'll still go close to having an aneurism), but I think it's good (not great) and, as I said before… IT MAY FORESHADOW THAT LONG AWAITED TOUR.

We in Australia will get The Next Day (album art pictured) on 8 March 2013 - a few days before the rest of the world. Once we've got the whole album we can more fully judge Bowie's first output in a decade.

I wait with baited breath.

Thanks for the reverse 66th birthday present, Ziggy.

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