University of Dallas News

Issue date: 9/30/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment

Based on my previous experience with TV on the Radio and the thirty second iTunes sound samples, my initial inclination would have been against "Dear Science," but on the advice of a friend I decided to give it a try anyway. As it turns out, iTunes samples don't do music justice, and other people occasionally know what they're talking about. "Dear Science" is a great album, unusually timely in its exploration of modern American angst and backed up by strong rhythms and a wonderful synthesis of styles.

While ostensibly a rock band, TV on the Radio's guitar work rarely rises above the sea of synthesizers and horns; when it does, it's a pleasure to hear, and it's often one of the more triumphant moments of an otherwise somber album. Interwoven among these moments of soaring guitar and the undeniably pretty melodies of the album's slower songs are hints of the band exploring a more hip-hop-oriented sound. While the melody loses out to fast rhythms and energetic horns on such tracks, they're put together well enough to still be very good songs.

Overall, "Dear Science" is very much a grower. It lacks anything that could properly be called a melodic hook and doesn't lend itself to casual listens, but you'll fall in love with it soon enough. While any critic of lyrics will discern that it is decidedly on one side of the culture war, its themes of angst and confusion are ubiquitous enough in the wake of the current political climate to make it an ode to troubled times with universal appeal.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools