Scientific Method

If I had any complaints about the last TV On The Radio record, I'd say there was bit of a consistency problem. And yeah, I know I might be alone here. The high points, which obviously outweighed the low, made Return To Cookie Mountain hands down one of the best records of the decade. However, the album wasn't without its faults -- the less-than-stellar spastic moments were nothing to write home about. Well, it appears that Tunde Adebimpe and crew have learned a thing or two in two years that have passed since Mountain's release. Tweaks have been made here for the better which will only accelerate this band's already rising stock. I'm happy to report that you'll be hard pressed to find a flaw on the new record, Dear Science. And as always, you'll be even harder pressed to put your finger on a specific genre here. This new oeuvre spans everything from hip-hop, trip-hop, shoegaze, funk, electronica, punk, and everything in between. If you thought these art rockers were out there before (in a good way), you really ain't seen nothing yet until you've experienced Science. Bottom line, this is the record Bloc Party tried to make if they had this Brooklyn quintet's talent.

The throbbing bass/bent guitars of "Halfway Home" scream textbook British post-punk. What it equates to is five and a half minutes of pure sonic bliss. There's nothing to feel sad about on the proceeding track, "Crying". Melding 70's funk with 90's electronica, this one pulls a 180 that makes this tune of the more infectious tracks of the year. The party continues on the choppy "Dancing Choose" -- a quick little number that showcases Tunde's mic-spitting abilities. Things slow down a bit on the trippy "Stork and Owl," and oh, what's that we hear? A string section? Sure, why not. This meshes well with the band's closest encounter to a ballad, "Family Tree," which reprises the violins to make this one a potential crossover hit. Music supervisors will be itching to get this one in the next episode of Grey's Anatomy. Which isn't to diminish the credibility of the song. Wedged in between the string-sensational tracks, is the very radio friendly-first single "Golden Age," which is already remix tested and approved. Up next is "Red Dress" -- the album's easiest classifiable track. This one's straight-up funk; no gimmicks.

If it's experimenting you're looking for, have no fear; thing's start to get interesting again on "Love Dog". The boys pull out all of the tricks here including Tunde's soaring pipes, some horns, and yes, even more strings -- all backed by a hypnotic trip-hop beat. Perhaps the album's most remarkable offering is the schizophrenic "Shout Me Out". This one seemingly starts off as a nice sing-along pop number. That is, until you hit the 1:49 mark. From then on it's an all-out, head-spinning electronica assault. Damn, this is good, but we're not done yet. "DLZ" is Science's closest comparison to the band's most successful and anthemic song to date, "Wolf Like Me". The album's finale is, unsurprisingly, a winner. A escalating 6-minute number, "Lover's Day" seems to consolidate all the bells and whistles that have been thrown on the table during the previous 45 or so minutes. Backed by Katrina Ford's vocals and a reprised horn section, this one shifts direction as quickly as Tunde's vocal tempos.

No matter how you slice and dice it, Dear Science is a resounding follow-up triumph to one of indie rock's most celebrated (and probably overhyped) bands. Although I'll admit I got a little swept up in the hoopla of 2006's breakout smash, this record only affirms why these guys have been have been turning heads and selling out shows left and right. I had my doubts, but TV On The Radio has certainly put those to bed. I know I've been saying this a lot lately, but this one ranked up there amongst the year's best. Hey, it's science.

Dear Science comes out next Tuesday, September 23rd.

My Rating: 8.9/10