TV on the Radio - Dear Science

Rating: 9.2/10

Sound: 10
Lyrics: 9
Sound/Production Quality: 9
Impression: 10
Replay Value: 8
Tilt: 9

Release Date: September 23, 2008
Genre: Art Rock, Noise Rock, Experimental
Key Tracks: Stork & Owl, Family Tree, Love Dog, Lover's Day

As obscure bands go, there are few more obscure than TV on the Radio. Let's face it: experimental noise rock bands are far and few in the modern scene. However, this New York-based band keeps finding its way into the year's best albums. Return to Cookie Mountain, the band's 2006 release, finished in the top 10 albums of the year in many music publications worldwide and their amazingly powerful hit, Wolf Like Me, remains one of my favourite songs. Yet Return didn't do much for me: the album seemed too dispersed, venturing in every direction and never settling in one spot. The quality of the music was excellent, but it never stuck with me. This week, their latest album, Dear Science, was released to much critical acclaim again; it is currently Metacritic's #1 album of 2008. Reviews preached a more evolved style: a more engaging clenliness that regular listeners, not only critics, could enjoy. With that, I picked it up and never stopped listening. Finally a band with no real direction settled down and made something truly wonderful.

Our journey begins with Halfway Home. To me, it began like the average TVOTR track, bizarre in beat and vocals, but it evolved into something comprehensive: still heavy around the ends, but ultimately very listenable. Crying is probably the coolest song on this album. A bluesy guitar beat rings in combination with group vocals and a thumping bass. The ending leads into horns thar are always incredible. Dancing Choose seemed hip hop oriented without real necessity, but a stellar chorus and simple sax beats well make up for it.

Then, the powerful and emotionally striking Stork & Owl is revealed. The bizarre title leaves much to the imagination, but Kyp Malone developped the track much like a Dave Matthews track: singular, moving vocals are grouped with a slow drum beat and minimal action from additional instruments. Clearly, I'm a sucker for strings as an elaborate arrangement of elaborate plucking and a flowing concerto of all instruments almost creates a boat on which the listener floats to enlightenment; it's the album's best track. We continue on to Golden Age, another standard track from their former repertoire taken to the next level through an elaborate variety of unstruments: everything from saxophones to congas create a highly motivated, fantastic beat that easily captivates. Family Tree is another amazing track on this album, a close second to Stork & Owl. Another piano/string combination (surprise surprise) leads a dry verse into a stellar chorus. Tunde Adebimpe, the band's vocalist, in combination with Katrina Ford, a regular contributor to TV's works, really make this track stand tall. I was disappointed by the end of the track deceptively rising slightly and falling abruptly after; a full-out finale to the number would have been in order.

Red Dress, I'm undecided on. It sounds like something off Return to Cookie Mountain: up-tempo, horn-based and loud. However, it shows signs of the new, improved band too, with a ringing electric guitar is a constant piece as well as interesting lyrics. One thing's certain, the band could make a James Bond theme very similar to this song. Love Dog is very mellow. Musically, it isn't as expansive and fantastic as it's counterparts, but it's a nice change of pace following the complication of the previous works. The strings and sax are fantastic again. Shout Me Out, I didn't really enjoy. It showed promise early, but was all over the place, much like TV's early work. DLZ is a vast expression of anger for once. The other songs portray a series of mixed emotions, from love to happiness to desperation, but none capture anger quite like this one. It's another interesting track with enjoyable lyrics, but I don't feel it. Lover's Day is perfection. The track is another remarkably constructed soundscape: sax, clarinet and bass set the stage, expansive in the place of usually concrete bass tones, before a full orchestral backdrop takes hold and never lets go. Tunde and Katrina duet on vocals beautifully, creating one of TV's most complete works to date.

With TV on the Radio, I would usually state that this band is difficult to appreciate. Usually, the band's minimal fan base and music critics nationwide are the only ones who can really appreciate their unique sound, but in ways surprising to both them and me, they have developed a sound that is truly remarkable. Even the musically inept can listen to the passionate arrangements, the stellar vocals and the thought-provoking lyrics and be driven to sentimentality. None can really say how music makes them feel, as it differs with every person, but with this album (with great difficulty) can be summed up in one word: extraordinary.