If you told me you’ve never heard of David Byrne, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least. For the last decade, he’s largely been overlooked by music’s popular culture, despite releasing a string of brilliant albums, each tackling musical territory more diverse than the last. His previous album, 1997’s “Feelings,” was particularly eclectic, even for his already high standards. Now, “Look Into The Eyeball” — Byrne’s first release of the 21st century — extends the musical concepts in “Feelings” but is more focused and emotional. Each of the 12 tracks reflects the somber and bittersweet, the uplifting and positive.
Reflections aside, the album will keep you dancing. The music combines strings, horns and guitars. Keep an ear out, though, and you’ll hear a mellotron, tympani drum and baby bass. Of course, credit goes to the small army of musicians involved; some tracks feature orchestral arrangements of up to 27 people.
One of Byrne’s most endearing qualities is his distinctive vocals. On “Eyeball,” his voice mingles in near-perfect harmony with the music and has never sounded better. The first track, “UB Jesus,” is a rocking commentary on religious contradictions. Hopping between characters, Byrne delivers the cutting truth: “Maybe I’m gonna fry in hell/But I feel good when I burn myself.”
Byrne makes beauty and rebellion seem as one in “The Revolution.” Almost child-like, he sings: “Beauty rests on mattress strings/Wearing just her underthings/& when she wakes the revolution’s here.”
“The Accident” has disturbing qualities that must be heard to be believed, whereas “Like Humans Do” is a contradiction; a musically cheery song with a dark, lyrical underbelly. In alien-like detachment, Byrne comments on the hilarious minutiae of human beings as he sings: “I never watch TV except when I’m stoned.”
Simple bells set a surreal introduction to “Broken Things.” A combination of wailing horns and funky bass lays the groundwork for the song’s chorus, in which Byrne wails: “In this house of broken things/Everyone could use some help/Will you help me fix myself?” He shows subtle hip-hop sensibilities here.
“The Moment of Conception” is an oddity, almost nothing more than a cathartic rant with dissonant strings. Yet Byrne’s wavering voice and catchy lyrics are oddly compelling as he sings: “I was born without a conscience/Full of freedom, full of nonsense/From the mountains to the beaches/Eat the apples, steal the peaches.”
The album’s hesitant finale, “Everyone’s In Love With You,” tells us, “God gives, God takes/Don’t misunderstand I’m a satisfied man.” Byrne exposes himself on this album as a man whose emphasis is placed on keen observation, not final judgment.
With the proliferation of plasticity and production in today’s music, works such as “Look Into The Eyeball” are becoming increasingly rare gems. They sound great and can also be interpreted scrupulously for years to come. This one is not to be missed.