Michael Lavine, Sunday paper, Sunday, October 19, 2008The frequency with which major labels hit the elusive target of artistic credibility meshed with popular acclaim has shrunken to such a degree that when it happens, it seems like an anomaly. Factor in the unlikelihood of those few acts releasing follow-up albums in the “give us a hit” pipeline, and you can see how unusual TV on the Radio is.
Although the band’s third full-length album (and second for a major) is somewhat slicker, there are enough unexpected twists and non-commercial turns to make this a relatively risky proposition for a company as bottom-line orientated as Interscope.
There also aren’t many predominantly black groups on the contemporary rock scene, let alone those that fuse TVOTR’s diverse elements of electronics, Euro-pop, soul, hip-hop and edgy funk. Pushing the envelope while appealing to the masses is a tricky tightrope to walk, but the band manages to make it look easy, and guests (the Antibalas horns and a classical string quartet) provide additional backspin to songs that are unpredictable to begin with.
Singer Tunde Adebimpe shifts from a soul-caressed croon to a dark, almost John Cale talk-sung style, and, on “Golden Age,” to a Prince-ly falsetto. His diverse palette paints each tune with a slightly different tone, but there’s sense of continuity to the disc.
Tunes like the ballad “Family Tree” manage to balance elements of indie rock, classical and Peter Gabriel-influenced pop without falling into either, remaining true to TVOTR’s experimental roots while boasting (gasp!) singalong choruses and a knotty eclecticism that feels entirely natural.
3 STARS—Hal Horowitz
Although the band’s third full-length album (and second for a major) is somewhat slicker, there are enough unexpected twists and non-commercial turns to make this a relatively risky proposition for a company as bottom-line orientated as Interscope.
There also aren’t many predominantly black groups on the contemporary rock scene, let alone those that fuse TVOTR’s diverse elements of electronics, Euro-pop, soul, hip-hop and edgy funk. Pushing the envelope while appealing to the masses is a tricky tightrope to walk, but the band manages to make it look easy, and guests (the Antibalas horns and a classical string quartet) provide additional backspin to songs that are unpredictable to begin with.
Singer Tunde Adebimpe shifts from a soul-caressed croon to a dark, almost John Cale talk-sung style, and, on “Golden Age,” to a Prince-ly falsetto. His diverse palette paints each tune with a slightly different tone, but there’s sense of continuity to the disc.
Tunes like the ballad “Family Tree” manage to balance elements of indie rock, classical and Peter Gabriel-influenced pop without falling into either, remaining true to TVOTR’s experimental roots while boasting (gasp!) singalong choruses and a knotty eclecticism that feels entirely natural.
3 STARS—Hal Horowitz
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire