Domingo 16 Nov 2008, 22:11

TV on the Radio’s masterpiece Dear Science,

This is an album, where the music could stand-alone by itself and work on all cylinders, but the vocals are it’s strongest asset, lead by the power of Tunde Adepimbe and the soul of Kyp Malone. While topping their 2006 effort Return to Cookie Mountain would be a mountain to climb for anyone, Dear Science, (yes, the comma really does exist) finds a way to polish their dense sound and as a result they have churned out a more focused yet equally sprawling effort. Sprawling can’t even do justice to the amount of variety in tracks here, from the immediately catchy almost hip-hop “Dancing Choose” to “Crying,” where they get their Prince on while pointing fingers at all evil, but still finding a way to end beautifully optimistic. Their first single, drenched with funk is song of the year contender “Golden Age” where Adepimpe belts, “there’s a golden age coming ‘round.” The album also bookends with two of its strongest tracks, from the handclaps and sprinting feel of opener “Halfway Home.” To the absolutely beautiful duet with Celebration’s Katrina Ford, “Lover’s Day,” which states, “yes here of course there are miracles, a lover that loves that’s one.” This is the highest point of the album, with an outro bathed in horns and soul it’s impossible not to feel like you have just experienced a miracle. This is true art-rock, an intelligent album that demands repeat listens as it unfolds its deep dark secrets. An album that fits its generation not by pointing us towards a revolution, or giving us a glimmer of hope, but it’s honest and confused, unknowing of the future and scared to death of what comes next.

Key Tracks: Halfway Home, Golden Age, Dancing Choose, DLZ, Lover’s Day