It’s been a while since we picked up a signal from We Are KING’s corner of the sky. Formerly known as simply “King,” the synth-soul collective adopted a new moniker just as sister-in-song Anita Bias was exiting the trio. Remaining members Amber and Paris Strother fell silent after their 2019 appearance on “Outside The Blue” from Sam Sparro’s Boombox Eternal. Fans weren’t sure if they were coming back.

“But here am I sitting in a tin can,” Amber intones in a subdued soprano on their colorful, new redux of David Bowie’s 1969 single “Space Oddity.” The duo’s empyreal sound traces the outline of the original, brightening it with plush touches of guitar, crushed claps, and rumbling Moog. Paris’ sonic landscapes are massive yet delicate. The end result floats through its darkened space using a heartbeat-like pulse as propellant.

This classic about a fictional astronaut launching into the great unknown is a perfect vehicle to carry the Strother sisters back into headphones worldwide. Delivered on what would have been Bowie’s 74th birthday, “Space Oddity” is the first offering from the forthcoming BBE Music sanctioned Bowie tribute compilation Modern Love, due in stores May 28th. Other artists featured on the collection include Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Meshell Ndegeocello, Helado Negro and Matthew Tavares, among others.

BUY/DOWNLOAD We Are KING’s “Space Oddity” here

Note: As an Amazon affiliate partner, Albumism may earn commissions from purchases of vinyl records, CDs and digital music featured on our site.

LISTEN: