Three years doesn’t really seem like a long time between records. However, when you’re talking about one of Brooklyn’s finest exports in the last ten years – before being from Brooklyn was even cool – it’s a whole different story.
Any period of time without new music from TV On The Radio (TVOTR) is mostly spent waiting for something new, while periodically revisiting the amazing back catalogue. Last year they teased us with the frantic punk leanings of ‘Mercy’ and melancholic ballad ‘Million Miles’, the first new offerings sine 2011’s underrated Nine Types of Light.
In the lead up to the release of their fifth full-length offering, Seeds, we’ve had a taste of things to come with ‘Happy Idiot’ and the very promising ‘Careful You’. Thinking of course that two tracks would give you a scope for what TVOTR could present is most definitely short sighted, exemplified by this brand new record.
Hit
Part of the excitement of listening to a new TVOTR record is simply wondering where they will kick things off and in what manner. If there’s one constant that makes this band irresistible it’s there continual strive to evolve. There is also the added significance that Seeds is the first album in a long time without bass player Gerard Smith, who passed away in 2011 from lung cancer just after the release of Nine Types of Light.
The eerie choral beginning of opener ‘Quartz’, with its pulsating claps and syncopated high-pitched percussion, signify an ominous and exciting start. Couple that with the immense vocals of Tunde Adebimpe soaring above the incessant chanting, and once again TVOTR have encapsulated the beauty of their approach, to expect the unexpected. This record is both cohesive and disjointed at the same time. The beauty here is in the constant surprises you get with each track. More often than not this energy is perfectly captured but in other points it fails to do so.
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Shit
On the first listen of this fifth long-player, particularly after the strong start, there is a distinct lack of energy. Of course it’s impossible not to compare Seeds with TVOTR’s previous records.
While there are plenty of electric moments, it feels somewhat lacklustre compared to 2005’s Return To Cookie Mountain and 2008’s incredible Dear Science. Tracks like ‘Right Now’ and ‘Trouble’ feel somewhat unremarkable and fail to capture that urgency that can make this collection of musicians so infectious.
The middle part of the record does have a tendency to blend together and fails to continue the momentum of the start. Perhaps this is a reflection of the band continuing to mature and evolve past the frenetic energy of popular tracks like ‘Wolf Like Me’ or ‘Halfway Home’.
Hit
One important feature that TVOTR can hail to dominate, and which is all-pervasive here, is their endless feel and groove. It’s another thing that’s almost impossible to describe but is best captured in ‘Careful You’, the standout track of the album. The punchy synth bass and constantly rolling rhythm underpins instrumental flourishes and Adebimpe’s incredibly distinctive vocals, once again, soars above it all. The beauty in this track is the band’s ability to never let it feel rushed, the vocals are sporadic and allow the funkiness of the instrumentation to really shine during the verses.
This feel and groove, which essentially comes down to musicianship and impeccable sense of time, perfectly compliments TVOTR’s ability to take advantage of dynamics. There are the simpler tracks like ‘Happy Idiot’, which has a sort of relaxed but urgent energy from start to finish. Then songs like ‘Ride’, opener ‘Quartz’, and title track ‘Seeds’ continue to build and build, in a way that feels almost like a distinct feature of this Brooklyn four-piece.
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Shit
There’s no question that while Seeds definitely needs more than one listen to truly appreciate it, it certainly harnesses a more pop aesthetic. Here it’s both a good thing and a bad thing. Part of TVOTR’s appeal is their ability to bring together so many different genres to create incredible tunes. There are times however, especially on ‘Could You’, where the adoption of more pop melodies seem to sap energy from the album. This lack of grittiness also comes from the ever-polished production of guitarist Dave Sitek.
Again there are places on Seeds that are used to exploit the incredible production afforded by having Sitek as a member, like the more rock infused track ‘Lazzeray’ or pop polish of ‘Love Stained’, but there are moments that fail to hit the mark because of it. On previous offerings such as ‘DLZ’ from Dear Science, the slow pace of the song doesn’t dictate the energy and it still packs a punch.
Final Verdict: Hit
While Seeds might not hit the lofty heights of Dear Science, it highlights the most exciting aspect of TVOTR as a band, and that’s their constant refusal to be pigeon holed. Their fifth studio album constantly keeps you guessing, with nods to the past and visions for the future, not to mention catchy as hell. Attempts to explain TVOTR’s sound or the genre they may inhabit is futile.
With the sort of critical acclaim they’ve garnered for their previous four long players, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one wouldn’t quite reach the sort of sky-high expectations that have been set for this collection of creative musicians. Seeds definitely comes close and when these tunes hit the live stage any small reservations will most definitely be wiped away.
TV On The Radios’s new album Seeds is out today via EMI
