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TV On The Radio's "Dear Science" is the next generation's classic rock

Date published: 11/20/2008

BY MATT CAMERON

Brooklyn art-rockers TV on the Radio have dominated the underground for several years now. But their latest release, "Dear Science," might be what finally pushes them into the realm of musical immortality.

Whenever a band can capture, distill and perfectly transfer the prevailing atmosphere of the times into its music, the result is bound to be special. TVOTR's fourth full-length album accomplishes that feat, but doesn't sacrifice an ounce of musical ingenuity.

The album starts off strong with the driving rhythm of "Halfway Home" complementing the solemn vocals of Tunde Adebimpe. Handclaps and drums punctuate the song, from its disconcerting opening lines ("The lazy way they turned your head/ Into a rest stop for the dead") to its decisive conclusion ("Go on, throw this stone/ Into this halfway home").

The powerful rhythms and messages continue through the next few tracks, with "Crying" having a funkier mix of horns backing Kyp Malone's falsetto vocals, and "Dancing Choose" featuring Adebimpe doing his best battle-rapper impersonation. If "Halfway Home" is the buildup of the album's storm clouds, then Adebimpe's vicious assault on mainstream culture in "Dancing Choose" is the thunder-and-lightning that reveals the full extent of the band's underlying anger.

Unlike on the band's previous albums, however, the storm does pass on "Dear Science." "Golden Age" is a bouncy anthem for utopia; and "Family Tree," despite haunting imagery, turns out to be a touchingly beautiful ballad.

Malone then struts through the lyrics on "Red Dress" while continuing to convey the message of anger that drives the album. "Hey Jackboot! F-- your war!/'Cause I'm fat and in love and no bombs are fallin' on me for sure," he sings, before conceding, "But I'm scared to death that I'm livin' a life not worth dyin' for."

"Shout Me Out" is vintage TVOTR, with complex instrumentals serving as the backdrop to an impassioned plea for God's help in dealing with the increasingly uncertain future. And "Lover's Day" offers a stunning conclusion to the album as it exults in a visceral portrait of love: "I hunger for you like a cannibal/ Not gonna let you run. "

While TVOTR is still infuriated at the world, their anger exists because they believe in something truly better than what we've got.

Matt Cameron is a senior at James Monroe High School.

Date published: 11/20/2008