-- if you don't like music(k), we don't like you --

Thursday 4 December 2008

Musick's Top 20 Albums: 03



03. TV On The Radio
Dear Science

For many, TV On The Radio were always going to struggle to eclipse 2006’s dense, prickly Return To Cookie Mountain, an album so good not even David Bowie could ruin it. What they didn’t realise, however, was that the band were only just getting started, Dear Science taking their art rock template and throwing in everything from Prince-esque funk (‘Golden Age’) to stadium rock balladry (well, relatively speaking) on ‘Family Tree’. Ubiquitous producer (and full-time band member) David Sitek buries surprises at every turn, be it the delicious handclaps that pepper the angry ‘Dancing Choose’, or the way Antibalas’ horn parts drive each song to new heights. Though the album appears more accessible on the surface, beneath lies an angry, pissed off core, with duel lead singers Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone taking it in turns to rail against everything from bad leaders to bad women. Too clever by half, Dear Science is an album by a band at the height of their powers, a true testament to what can happen when you question everything.

Key track: 'Dancing Choose'

No comments:

Post a Comment