TV On The Radio is back to follow up the huge success of 2008′s Dear Science with a brand new album called Nine Types Of Light. The band definitely found a sublime space between a sort of art rock ethos and a more melodious, brooding intellectual side on the last album. The songs just meshed together in a perfect way and the album was incredibly strong from start to finish. The new album sees the band continue to explore some darker and more dramatic material, with a strong emphasis placed on the mood or feeling of the record this time around. This album feels a lot more calculated and developed than the last album, but it lacks some of the immediacy and energy that made the last album great. Ultimately they have put together an album that is very strong from beginning to end with a lot of great moments and a great atmosphere, but the album seems to lack somewhat real heavy high points that dotted the last record. Despite that though, this is another great album from this band.
The album sets a more subdued tone from the outset with “Second Song” and the very, very good but subdued “Keep Your Heart”. This song, along with songs like “Will Do”, are perfect examples of where the band can set up a great vibe to a song and bring their own interesting perspective to it. It keeps you guessing on where they are going somewhat, but it all fits in the right places. “You” has a great feel to it. The band puts together this whimsical and sweet 70s psych rock ballad of sorts with “Killer Crane”, a song which feels way outside of their normal routine, but again it somehow works and is just perfect all the same. The last half of the album features a few more jittery art rock types of songs that once again put together the great mixture of intimacy and power that the band can convey so well.
Again, the album has some real great moments and is a great set of songs from this band. I think the one drawback on the album is that it keeps a pretty even keel the whole way through, and never really seems to hit too many peaks and valleys along the way. While that is certainly indicative of the consistency with which the band can put together some great songs, it also means the album lacks some of the memorable moments that we remember from their previous efforts. That being said, the band has once again delivered some really strong material here and we can only just continue to follow and be fans of pretty much everything they put out as one of the most consistently strong bands going out there.
“Will Do” by TV On The Radio from Nine Types Of Light
