David Byrne - Who Is The Sky?

David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky? is an inventive, personal, and slightly surreal dive into the mind of one of music’s most consistently curious voices.

Released in 2023, this album was born after the curtain closed on his American Utopia era, with Byrne sketching out grooves and melodies using just an acoustic guitar and programmed loops.

What emerged is a rich collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Kid Harpoon (aka Tom Hull), the chamber ensemble Ghost Train Orchestra, and special guests including Hayley Williams, St. Vincent, and The Smile’s Tom Skinner. It’s a record that questions meaning, purpose, and connection, wrapped in Byrne’s signature blend of avant-pop and lyrical wit.

Songs like “Who Has Seen the Wind?” and “Tiny Things” tap into themes of love, identity, and the weird beauty of everyday existence. There’s joy, there’s melancholy, and there’s the occasional skincare metaphor. It’s cinematic and self-aware, but never loses its sense of play.

Who Is The Sky? expands on the optimism of American Utopia but goes deeper, poking at life’s big questions with warmth and humor. It’s Byrne doing what he does best — bending genre, pushing boundaries, and making the strange feel wonderfully familiar.

Tracklist

1. Everybody Laughs
2. When We Are Singing
3. My Apartment Is My Friend
4. A Door Called No
5. What Is the Reason for It?
6. I Met the Buddha at a Downtown Party
7. Don't Be Like That
8. The Avant Garde
9. Moisturizing Thing
10. I'm an Outsider
11. She Explains Things to Me
12. The Truth