As good as TV on the Radio’s recorded work has been, nothing matches the transcendence of their live shows, especially when they perform with the horn section from Antibalas. Dear Science could change that. This is the sound of a band at the peak of its powers, effortlessly mixing noise and pop, density and light, funk and soul and rock. Guitarist Kyp Malone sings almost half of the songs, busting out a couple times in a funky falsetto that begs comparison to Prince. Singer Tunde Adebimpe delivers a heavier dose of vocal intensity, though the two singers’ voices often meld gloriously—to the point that you can’t distinguish them. The production style here is pretty slick. There are strings and all manner of electronic treatments, and one tune, “Family Tree,” with its echoing piano chords, strays as deep into Coldplay territory as one can imagine TVOTR going. But the songs brim with the relentless energy that will, no doubt, translate brilliantly onto the stage. Starting October 14, they’ll play three straight nights at the Masonic Temple in Brooklyn.
TV on the Radio
Dear Science.
September 23.