Dear Science

by TV on the Radio

Overview

With lyrics and vocals that are just as ambitious and attention-getting as the music surrounding them, TV on the Radio have always had a lot going on in their music. Indeed, Return to Cookie Mountain was so elaborate that topping it would be difficult, so on Dear Science, (yes, the comma is intentional) the band channels its focus into lean, nimble songs with more structure and polish -- and more focus on Tunde Adepimbe's and Kyp Malone's vocals -- than any of TV on the Radio's previous work. This immediacy and crystalline clarity take some getting used to, especially compared to Cookie Mountain's lavish yet organic sound: "Family Tree"'s strings, pianos, and plainly worded vulnerability make it one of the band's most accessible songs, but it doesn't feel like anything was sacrificed to make it so anthemic. That feeling only deepens on the self-evidently sexy "Red Dress," which uses Antibalas' vibrant brass and taut guitars to show-stopping effect. As Dear Science, unfolds, it becomes clear that it isn't so much a radical change for TV on the Radio as it is a slight but significant shift in approach. "Stork and Owl," an inspired mix of hypnotically looping samples and flowing, real-time soulfulness, and "Love Dog," which boasts some of Adepimbe's most affecting singing since "Staring at the Sun," could have fit easily on earlier albums with a few sonic tweaks. And, like Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes and Return to Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, begins with an epic statement of purpose -- although "Halfway Home" is as sleek as it is grand, sprinting towards its end with streaking guitars -- and ends in an embrace with "Lover's Day," a duet with Celebration's Katrina Ford that turns "I wanna break your back" from a threat to a come-on. Tackling love and war, often within the same song, is all in a day's work for TV on the Radio. However, the band's take on these themes is subtly but notably more optimistic here, as though lightening their sound lightened their mood as well. "DLZ" broods over "the long-winded blues of the never," but on the brilliantly funky "Golden Age," Adepimbe sings "there's a golden age coming 'round" without a trace of irony. Malone's "Crying" calls out the wrongs of the world but ends up just as hopeful as it is angry, while the pun in "Dancing Choose"'s title is pointed enough that the song almost doesn't need to prove that dancing on your troubles is powerfully therapeutic as thoroughly as it does, but that's just another example of this album's rare balance between craft and passion. That comma at the title's end seems naggingly open-ended at first, but it's actually a perfect fit for Dear Science,'s openness to possibilities and positivity. ~ Heather Phares

Product Details

Release Date:	02/23/2024
Label:	Touch & Go
UPC:	0036172098033
Rank:	17086

Album Credits

Performance Credits

TV on the Radio   Primary Artist
Gerard A. Smith   Organ,Sampling,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes
Yoshi Takamasa   Bells,Claves,Congas,Shaker,Percussion
Eleanore Everdell   Vocals
Yoshi Takemasa   Bells,Claves,Congas,Shaker,Percussion
Leah Paul   Horn
Aaron J. Johnson   Trombone
Dave Bergander   Drums
Janis Shen   Violin
Claudia Chopek   Violin
Jaleel Bunton   Bass,Drums,Organ,Guitar,Synthesizer,Fender Rhodes
Aaron Johnson   Trombone
Colin Stetson   Saxophone,Sax (Baritone)
Katrina Ford   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Martin Perna   Flute
Tunde Adebimpe   Vocals
David Andrew Sitek   Bass,Guitar,Sampling,Synthesizer
Eric Biondo   Trumpet
Eleanor Norton   Cello
Lara Hicks   Viola
Kyp Malone   Bass,Guitar,Vocals,Synthesizer
Matana Roberts   Clarinet,Sax (Alto)
Stuart Bogie   Saxophone,Sax (Tenor)

Technical Credits

Dan Huron   Audio Engineer
Gerald Smith   Composer
Amirah Noaman   Management
Brian Schunck   Assistant
Sara Newkirk   Management
Kyle Boyd   Assistant
Roe Etheridege   Photography
Babatunde Adebimpe   Composer
Gerard Smith   Composer
TV on the Radio   Composer
Janis Shen   Arranger,String Arrangements
Perry Serpa   Arranger,String Arrangements
Claudia Chopek   Arranger,String Arrangements
Chris Coady   Engineer,Audio Engineer
Chris Moore   Engineer,Audio Engineer
Jaleel Bunton   Arranger,Composer,Programming,String Arrangements
Tunde Adebimpe   Composer,Lyricist,Art Direction
David Andrew Sitek   Mixing,Arranger,Composer,Producer,Programming,Audio Production,Horn Arrangements
Kyp Malone   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,String Arrangements
Steve Fallone   Mastering
Stuart Bogie   Arranger,Horn Arrangements
Matty Green   Mixing