TV On The Radio: Nine Types of Light

TV On The Radio
Nine Types of Light
Rating: Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It

TV On The Radio are probably the most restless band in the world, constantly evolving their sound, never standing in place for too long. From their electro/doo wop debut Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes, through the dense, damaged art rock of Return to Cookie Mountain, and the slick dance funk of Dear Science, it is always a surprise to see what direction the band takes. Their new release Nine Types of Light finds the band changing gears again, choosing to forgo the usual sonic exploration and downshifting to more lowkey, groove based compositions. This could easily be considered their makeout album, as the songs all come wrapped in a warm, fuzzy glow, tailor made for nights on the couch in the front of the fire with a glass of wine. Of course, it being TVOTR, there is always a mournful quality to their music.

As always, the album is sonically perfect; Sitek's production always taking the dense elements and making them meld together. "Second Song," leads off with a simple backing, accordian and percussion; Tunde Adebimpe's gorgeous croon steadily building, gathering strength with guitar and what sounds like piano from Simple Minds circa Once Upon A Time.



Most of the songs on Nine Types of Light are mid-tempo, moody and lush; sauntering through their arrangements, not in hurry to get to the final destination. "Will Do," the first single, is haunting and lovely, with lots of background noises adding texture and contrast to the lovely melody.



Adebimpe's mournful vocal highlights the droning, somber "Forgotten."



"You," propelled along by a trip-hop beat, and what almost sounds like a synth sample from U2's "With Or Without You," is a glorious highlight of the album.



And "Killer Crane," which is similar in sound to Dear Science's "Family Tree," features a typical gorgeous vocal and understating backing: strings, light horns, banjo and guitar.



Although Nine Types of Light is not primarily focused on stretching their sound in new directions, they do find avenues for exploration. "No Future Shock" is a densely programmed track with constantly shifting guitars and keyboards interlocking with each other.



"Repetition" begins tautly coiled, springing to live with intense drums, guitars, and mantra like singing.



"Caffeinated Consciousness" features roaring guitars and horns in a call and response against Adebimpe's forceful vocal.



Nine Types of Light is not as immediately grabbing as their previous albums, which is likely why I have not rated it higher. Admittedly, it took me many listens to really get inside this record. The more subtle approach TVOTR takes is initially offputting; keeping the listener at a distance, which is likely the opposite reaction they are seeking. Also, I really missed the constant sonic experimentation of TVOTR of old; finding them working within the same palatte on most of the songs takes some time to get used to. With that said, Nine Types of Light is still a strong record, and would be a brilliant record in most bands' catalogs; for TVOTR it just doesn't reach the masterful heights of records like Dear Science and Return to Cookie Mountain.

Rating Guide

Chilfos: masterpiece; coolest thing I've heard in ages.

Woof Daddy: excellent; just a hair away from being a masterpiece.

Grrrr: very good; will definitely be considered for my top releases of the year.

Yeah Daddy Make Me Want It: good; definitely invites further listens and peaks one's interest for more material.

Meh: not horrible, but certainly not great; could have either been polished, trimmed, or re-thought.

Jeez Lady: what the hell happened? Just plain bad. They should hang their heads in shame and be forced to listen to Lady Gaga ad nauseam as penance.

Tragicistani: so bad, armed villagers with pitchforks and torches should run the artist out of the country for inflicting this abomination on the human race.