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Upcoming Release Calendar
69
AC/DC Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Dear Science,
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The fourth album for the New York band was produced by Dave Sitek.
| LABEL: | DGC/Interscope |
| RELEASE DATE: | 23 September 2008 |
| DISCS: | 1 disc |
| GENRE(S): | Rock |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this album is 9.2 (out of 10) based on 165 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
myrrhman gave it a5:
This album is an identity crisis. Crying is the only song that hints at what the album could have been, but Red Dress and Family Tree are so embarrassing and faceless. Dancing Any band could have written those songs, and even though I think Lover's Day is one of the better tracks, it still lacks what the band is about is filled with unnecessary pomp to compensate for it's shallowness. Not to mention Dancing Choose is a trainwreck of a song.
Jay gave it a5:
Unfortunately, TV On the Radio have largely ditched the wall of sound, Motown, and bleakly industrial aspects that made their previous 3 releases so interesting in favor of aping an all too-dancey update of Talking Heads, Bowie, Roxy Music etc. It's utterly disturbing to picture them cheekily dancing around in the studio patting each other on the back for making an album they all knew would please Pitchfork so much. The track opens and closes with fairly decent spectres of their former sound, but in between it's all horns and kitsch. Mind you I've been championing their sound for years - my standard greeting until this came out was practically "Hello, I'm Jay and you have to listen to this band before we can have a valid conversation". Now I have nothing to be thankful for this year, and instead I'm back to high school era full-bore bitterness. Tracks like "Dancing Choose" have me even more afraid of going out at night and facing the remote possibility of seeing a party dacing to my previously favorite bleak band. Before, they were lauded for having such a gorgeously bleak apocalyptic sound, and now they have a tounge in cheek dance record with apocalyptic lyrics. This isn't the real album is it? Please please please give us the real album. Meanwhile, every other critic seems to be falling in line with Pitchfork, giving them public spongebaths and littering their path with rose petals, and all I can feel is alienation. I think I'll probably be switching to reading Under the Radar more than Pitchfork, at least Under the Radar recognized the move as being asinine. Pitchfork TV is so solid, how can their tastes in reviewing have degenerated so parallel to TVOTR's lack of self-censure?
Jodie L gave it a6:
It still beggars belief that so many people give such high ratings to albums (not just this, any album), a rating of 10 should be reserved for one of the greatest album(s) you've ever listened to (I would only have 3 and own over 1000 albums). I have tried on numerous occasions to get into TV On The Radio, but alas every time I listen to one of their albums I get the feeling I could be listening to something in a similar genre that is so much better (like The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds). It's good, but it doesn't set the world on fire, some of the songs are incredibly weak in lyricism (as bastu said, "he's a what?, he's a what?, he's a newspaper man, and he gets his best ideas from a newspaper stand" come on be serious, love and dove also rhyme), even though the music is good that will never save an album. If you really want a good album spend your dough on. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago Spiritualized - Songs In A&E Joan As Police Woman - To Survive Portishead - Third. These are much superior albums.
Will gave it a10:
Surely destined to be a classic? By far and away the most exciting release of 2008, even if it has been a poor year for music.
Raph S gave it an8:
Good, if not great, album but certainly not music-defining, career-defining, genre-defining etc etc too much aping of talking heads, prince and others for it to be the best thing since sliced bread. more like a pitchfork-style 7.8
Mark S. gave it a9:
Accelerate through to the next revolution on some excelllent laser beaming R&R Bohemian blues for our tour through troubled times.
Bri C gave it a10:
All you have to do is give it a little bit of time to sink in. When it does, the intricate music, addictive drum machines and lyrics THAT ACTUALLY MAKE SENSE will pull you in. Every song fits perfectly, the album soars to a height from the first song and stays there until the very last note of track eleven. Amazing. I love this album.
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