Dear Science - TV on the Radio

Rating - 8.1

Hailing from Brooklyn, TV on the Radio has been the child of the new digital music market. Unlike most of the experimental mainstream acts, who achieved legitimate pop/rock success in the 90s only to reinvent themselves in the new century (Radiohead, Wilco, Beck), TVOTR have become popular because of their experimentation. On their new album, Dear Science, they have found their tightest, most vibrant sound yet, contrasted with their most apocalyptic lyrics.

With the exception of “Family Tree”, the balance of atmosphere before rhythm on 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain has been alternated, and the result is an instantly more accessible record. The songs pulse and grind, with funky synth and horn stabs, and lead singer Tunde Adebimpe shows off his clean but wild voice, shifting in and out of shouts and falsetto with ease. Tunde and song writing partner Kyp Malone bring in some more familiar sounds on this album, like the Beach Boys vocals that cut through the static of the album opener “Halfway Home” or the Tom Petty-esque chorus of “Shout Me Out”. The Album’s closer “Lover’s Day”, which is complete with the rhythm and woodwind sections of a military marching band, delivers one of the best tongue-in-cheek political statement of the year.

It boils down to an album that is as challenging and fresh as their previous release, but avoids sounding like a reiteration. With crunching beats that wouldn’t sound out of place at a house party, and tons of big choruses, Dear Science is certainly one of the best releases of the year, and gives a rare example of a band actually living up to their hype. On the downside, they are about the 50th band this year to release an album about how messed up our future as a civilization is, and our dependency on technology. Great artists make unique statements, and in a time when there are not many great artists, TV on the Radio are nearly there. (10/2/08)