TV On The Radio
Dear Science
4AD/Interscope, 2008
By Allana Mayer
So, I joined a gym. And while this might seem like TMI to y’all, I’m actually quite pleased about its effect on my MONDO-related output. You see, putting on music whilst running on a treadmill and staring at nothing is much more conducive to critical thoughts than, say, putting on music and reading, or putting on music and hanging out with your friends, or putting on music and eating, or putting on music and shopping, or putting on music and…
In particular, it makes you more aware of rhythms. Which is why I was so pleased that my initial treadmill choice, TV On The Radio’s Dear Science, worked so well. Not only is it as well-written and -produced as anything they’ve released, it has their trademark powerhouse rhythms. As an added bonus, the songs seem… happy. Energized. A turnaround from Return To Cookie Mountain, the boys have perked up and found a sense of humour. That’s not to say they’ve written pop, although track “Dancing Choose” is certainly reminiscent of The Streets’ more facetious moments (“Don’t Mug Yourself”) — and the guitar riff of “Crying” actually brings Mike And The Mechanics to mind, while the vocal part could’ve been performed favourably by any two-bit pop starlet (I might just be crazy on this one, though). But rather than betray themselves as one-trick-ponies, TV On The Radio has stepped up their game and expanded their repertoire.
If this worries you, fear not: “Stork And Owl” sounds exactly like everything else they’ve ever done, as do several other tracks on the disc. While I’ve always respected their talents and found their releases to be generally agreeable, I’ve never gotten urges to put on their music out of the blue, or gotten one of their songs randomly stuck in my head. But I get the feeling that Dear Science might change that.
When all you’ve got to focus on is your breathing, your steps, and a beat, it’s not surprising how simply right it feels when they can all fall into sync. Though it is sort of funny to swagger-dance on a treadmill, you should try it sometime.
