did not find it one of Bowie's best. The album did receive some positive reviews. Ken Emerson in The New York Times called it Bowie's "most eloquent" record in years, while Robert Christgau of The Village Voice wrote favourably, stating that although the songs may seem impassive and not designful, he believed those qualities are "part of their charm—the way they confound categories of sensibility and sophistication is so frustrating it's satisfying". Tim Lott of Record Mirror wrote: "It's simply appealing in such an unusual way that a clear definition is impossible, even when plotted against its own predecessors rather than 'pop music' in general." He commended the variety of musical styles present but criticised some of the lyrics as lazy. William Carlton of the New York Daily News hailed it "Bowie at his best", praising the performances of Bowie and the band, and the various musical styles. A reviewer for the Chicago Sun-Times found Lodger "uneven" but ultimately "more interesting and entertaining" than its predecessors. Influence and legacy The consensus among critics at the time of its release was that Lodger was the weakest of the Berlin Trilogy. Biographer Paul Trynka states that Lodger lacked the "sense of risk and excitement" that had "pervaded" its two predecessors, which he partly attributed to the studio it was recorded at. However, soon after its release, NME editors Roy Carr and Charles Shaar Murray predicted that Lodger would "have to 'grow in potency' over a few years, but eventually, it will be accepted as one of Bowie's most complex and rewarding projects". Indeed, Lodger has come to be considered as one of Bowie's most underrated works. Wawzenek described it as Bowie's Return of the Jedi (1983) rather than his The Godfather Part III (1990). While biographer Christopher Sandford calls Lodger a "slick, calculatedly disposable record", Buckley contends that "its stature grows with each passing year", and Pegg sums up, "undervalued and obscure practically from the moment of its release, its critical re-evaluation is long overdue". In regards to the Berlin Trilogy as a whole, Seabrook finds that then and now, listeners come to Lodger expecting a "resolution" to the sounds and themes of its two predecessors, but do not get that. He further contends that it lacks the "pioneer spirit" of Low and the "sheer gravitas" of "Heroes". Nevertheless, he considers some of the tracks, including "African Night Flight", "Repetition" and "Red