Dear Science, | TV on the Radio | Good but not great

Dear Science, | TV on the Radio | If there is no quiet, there can be no loud.

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Dear Science,

	Dear Science, TV on the Radio DGC/Interscope, 2008 average customer review:based on 44 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Good but not great

I expected more from this album. While there are some amazing tracks (Halfway Home and Golden Age especially), the album generally seems to lack risk and inventiveness and the heavy production rounds most of corners and makes the music feel too empty. There is little room for excitement or surprise here. People talk about "the album as an experience" and I must say there is a lack of one here. I can't listen to Dear Science, beginning to end...it starts to sound too similar and labored. There are assuredly bright spots and I recommend checking this album out but I can only justify the massive critical acclaim for Dear Science, in believing that this is merely a good album in a weaker year for music (so far).

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If there is no quiet, there can be no loud.

I really like these songs, but the mastering is completely brick walled, so there is no dynamic range what-so-ever. This makes an otherwise great CD unlistenable. Shame.

two or three awesome tracks

It's been a long time since I have written a review, but there was something about this album that compelled me to write one. Let's be honest, TV on the radio are very cool. It's cool to like them. Their previous album was special in so many ways. I was ofcourse very excited about this release. Pitchfork gave it a great review and Drowned in sound were singing it's praises. But yet, after being such a huge fan of their 2 albums previous, why was I having such a hard time with this one?
Out of curiosity, I checked Amazon, and I totally agreed with most of the reviews here.
After repeated listens, I have have only managed to get into three songs. And funnily enough, they are all written by the vocalist!
The other songs suffer from, dare I say it, bad production? I know, I know, he has produced tons of great albums, but this one just sounds so flat. Muffled even. And artistically it has gone off on a tangent. Where as they were quite hard to classify before (dare I say, art rock?) this album is pretty much a funk album. But even then, if kind of falls flat.
Stand out tracks are:
Halfway Home
family tree and the amazingly catchy DLZ.

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