David Byrne teams with producer Oneohtrix Point Never for the new song “This Is That,” the latest offering from the former Talking Heads singer’s upcoming LP, American Utopia.
Over sparse beats manipulated pianos and icy synths, Byrne sings, “That’s when I got your message / That’s when I sing this song / That’s when he says it’s over / That’s when my life is in your hands now / That’s when I call you up / That’s when my river overflows / That’s when I use my cash card / That’s when I think of who you are.”
Byrne previously shared “Everybody’s Coming to My House,” co-written by longtime collaborator Brian Eno, from American Utopia, Byrne’s first solo album in 14 years.
Speaking to Rolling Stone about the pop-oriented sound of his new album, Byrne said, “I’m comfortable with that partly because the lyrics are so very, very far away from what you would hear in a normal pop song. I mean, with a lot of artists I just go, ‘You’ve gotta write about something other than your boyfriend and your girlfriend! The world is a big place. You’re not 18 anymore – you can do this!'”
American Utopia, Byrne’s first solo album since 2004’s Grown Backwards, arrives March 6th.
