On the surface,
Lodger
is the most accessible of the three Berlin-era records
David Bowie
made with
Brian Eno
, simply because there are no instrumentals and there are a handful of concise
pop
songs. Nevertheless,
is still gnarled and twisted avant
; what makes it different is how it incorporates such experimental tendencies into genuine songs, something that
Low
and
Heroes
purposely avoided.
"D.J.,"
"Look Back in Anger,"
"Boys Keep Swinging"
have strong melodic hooks that are subverted and strengthened by the layered, dissonant productions, while the remainder of the record is divided between similarly effective avant
ambient
instrumentals.
has an edgier, more minimalistic bent than its two predecessors, which makes it more accessible for
rock
fans, as well as giving it a more immediate, emotional impact. It might not stretch the boundaries of
like
, but it arguably utilizes those ideas in a more effective fashion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine