I'm sitting here listening to Blackstar by David Bowie. His final gift to fans. It's the first Bowie album I've listened to. The cacophony of sounds is quite interesting. Each song is filled with a mixture of competing sounds that somehow work well. It feels as if I walked into a beatnick bar and 20 different musicians are just jamming on their instruments with no planned direction, but somehow it all makes sense.

Each song drips sadness mixed with effervescent joy. An artist who knows he is writing his requiem while simultaneously excited about being free from the pain and turmoil that overtook his life by what we call cancer. It's jazz infused chaos that somehow works.

For me, it's difficult listening. Especially given the context under which this album was crafted. It is hauntingly beautiful. I particularly love the dark fantasy of the guitar strings in Lazarus.