TV on the Radio "Dear Science" (Interscope Records) Sounds like: A great band still on the rise. Grade: A-
TV on the Radio, darlings of music blogs and big-name magazines alike, have released their newest album, "Dear Science," which builds perfectly upon their past successes. After the surprise critical acclaim of "Return to Cookie Mountain," the band has taken advantage of the breathing room - they've crafted a follow up that blends the sound that earned critical praise four years ago with an experimental mix of new sounds and arrangements. And it all works beautifully.
TVOTR has a talent for bringing disparate elements and setting them next to each other to see how well they interact. More often than not, the result is a pleasing mix and match of hip-hop beats, twinkling pianos, booming horns, seething bass lines and vocals that span genres within a single song.
In "Halfway Home" the listener is thrust into a pulsating drum line and upbeat chanting, overlaid with soft-spoken vocals. These elements mix a lot better in the song than it does on paper, a quality that marks much of the album. On "Stork and Owl," layered vocals rest on a lone, delicate synthesizer, and "DLZ" plays with thumping beats and juxtaposes them next to scratchy guitars and desperate singing. "Dancing Choose" plays with a blistering pace and is the song with the most danceability on an album that keeps throwing curve balls.
If there's one thing that holds the album together, it's that the style is just beautiful. It's a rich album that unravels in front of you, infusing every song with a quality making it both easy to listen to and tough to decipher, hooking the listener after a single play-through. For most people, it won't be the last.
-MICHAEL RICHARDSON
