Although TV ON THE RADIO are in the running as one of NYC'S hipper than hip at present, the sounds on their debut album "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes" were well rad. Funk? Post-Rock? Barbershop of all dang things....they had all bases covered, except possibly the tunes in a few places. Still, making noises that sound like they were being beamed in from Neptune is always good on the cred-o-meter, and at least in that sense TV threatened to go off the scale.
"New Health Rock", though, benefits from having the band's regular live rhythm section in tow. It's still dense and alien, but considerably more discipline is instilled by the presence of drummer Jaleel Bunton and bassist Gerard A.Smith and here TV sound heavier and more persuasive than ever before. The structure seems to have brought out the best in twin, be-afroed frontmen Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe too, as their frantic beatnik falsettos are breakneck, challenging and every bit as urgent as the musical backdrop.
In addition, "The Wrong Way" makes a welcome reappearence from the album. Still one of their best efforts to date, its' angry, dysfunctional wall of fuzz is punctuated by saxes making like feeding time at the duck pond and Adebimpe and Malone tying for the prize at their verbal gymkhana with flying colours. I still haven't the faintest soddin' idea what they're railing against (man), but by 'eck, it sounds good. I'll have a long suck on their bong, thanks.
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Cut off here, and TV On The Radio would have staked their unimpeachable claim as the Gil Scott Herons even the indie guitar slingers could get off on. Sadly, they blot their copybook by attempting a cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Modern Romance." When I type a sentence featuring the phrase "barbershop vocal exploration" you should already be running for the hills. If you're especially brave and are still here, how about this: TV's version reinvents Karen O and co as a Greenwich village Swingle Singers. Yeah: thought that would do it.
So, judiciously skip track three and you this uber-hip crew's best to date. The revolution will be televised? Avoid the commercials, partake in some channel hopping and it could just become reality.
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