TV On The Radio - Dear Science (Album)

4AD

After 2006's 'Return To Cookie Mountain' it was going to be difficult to go one better for starters it had David Bowie howling on 'Province' but also it had seen the TVOTR sound honed down into superb songs from their previous avant-garde rabble that had the potential to become actual tunes, well it made it. So how to leap forward again or more to the point was there a want to leap forward as Dave Sitek continued to protest that this was not a band but merely a project as if it was all dispensible to him, however luckily for us Sitek has in essence formed the band on this album unleashing a dizzying array of musical stylings.

Opener 'Halfway Home' lurches in all tribal drumming and hand-clapping with synth undertones and almost hymnal vocals that breaks into a grooving riff at it's close, it's a breathtaking start to the album and certainly one of the best on show here. 'Crying' has a very distinctive Prince sound to it not that Prince has done anything this good in oh say 20 years with Tunde Adebimpe high-pitching vocals and saxophones dancing with laser synths.

'Dancing Choose' is almost like a strange Arcade Fire Rap record which let's be honest we'd all be itching to hear. 'Stork And Owl' is a very etheral track that slows the pace and is a very haunting piece when placed between the last track and the following in 'Golden Age' which is TVOTR's dance anthem well it's as close as they have got to it just now and if you listen intently you might just spot a resemblance to a certain track by the alleged King of Pop.

The ballad 'Family Tree' follows before the fast-funk of 'Red Dress' with more falsetto wailing from Adebimpe and a loose guitar layered under the now obligatory saxophone that seems to dominate. 'Love Dog' is another attempt at slowing the pace after a more furious song and this is a great example of how to do it with very simple drum loops and a sorrowful vocal singing about loneliness (there's more saxophone as well).

In the final stretch of the album TVOTR fail to really end on a flourish the way they brought the album to life at the beginning but the tracks are every bit as solid as those preceding it if not as immediate 'Shout Me Out' has a wonderful breakbeat that crashes in midway and sees out the track it's more of that effort to get tracks you can dance to. Final track 'Lover's Day' again brings in the falsetto and plays it over an almost marching band track it's a stirring ending to a wonderful album.

There is no filler on this album and no trick is performed twice which is a refreshing thing to find on an album, you can understand why Sitek is a producer in demand as well the album is wonderfully crafted and full credit for making this about themselves this time without the star quality of a Bowie. It works to great effect and despite claiming to not be a band this is very much a band in full flow and don't be letting TVOTR fool you otherwise.