It has taken a full week of listening before I could even start writing this review of Dear Science: what is there to say about something that is so damn good?Dear Science is TV on The Radio’s fourth album and it sees the band continue to hide their nihilistic message in falsetto vocals and diverse uplifting music that is polished beyond perfection.
Opener Halfway Home is a not a big jump from TVOTR’s earlier work; b-b-b-bar-bar, b-b-b-bar-bar lyrics, hand claps, awkward percussion, fuzzy synths and buzzing guitars.
Dear Science highlight Dancing Choose has vocalist Tunde Adebimpe spitting lyrics about the newspaper man, his squashed toes and a cramped dance floor while the band lays out some skronking horns and high-hat. The result: electro-funk on speed.
On the bands 2006 release Return to Cookie Mountain, guitarist/producer David Sitek looked to fill every space of every song with layer upon layer of sound. On Dear Science, he strips back these layers giving lo-fi delights like Stork & Owl and Love Dog the room to swirl around inside your head, while Family Tree - a string filled (forbidden) love ballad - provides the perfect comedown from Golden Age’s funk laden optimism.
TVOTR sign the album out with DMZ - a hate anthem for the apocalypse, and the euphoric Kip Malone-lead Lover’s Day, a track that is so sexy it should come with it’s own morning after pill.
Dear Science is more accessible and more consistent than anything TVOTR have done before; this doesn’t mean they have gone plain, boring or commercial - far from it. (Album of the Year)
4 comments:
can't wait to hear it! karen
As per email header instruction here is a comment.
great album!
Sounds awesome. Its been getting brilliant reviews everywhere and its gone to the top of Metacritic's albums of the year so far.
I never got around to getting Return To Cookie Mountain despite all the great reviews that got, but I'll make sure I pick this one up.
How good is Metacritic? I only found it last week
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