TV On The Radio formed in the wake of the early 2000's NYC rock n' roll revival trend, but unlike its five borough brethren who were preoccupied with analogue-striped guitars and Stones-worthy hooks, the Brooklyn natives had a more soulful approach. Since the band's inception, Tunde Adebimpe, David Andrew Sitek, Kyp Malone, Jaleel Bunton, and Gerard Smith have remained core members- churning out four albums of expansive R&B-tinged indie rock that seemingly grows with each release. The group's latest effort, "Seeds" finds the Brooklynites continuing down the road they started down and deliberately takes a few unexpected sideroads.
"Seeds" is decidedly a TV On The Radio record, the silky combination of Stax-era crooning over chunky bareback guitars that oscillate between dancehall grooves and cathartic distortion blasts. The result is a band that could easily be the lovechild of Talking Heads and William Bell- the welcomed difference is the textural layers of melodies they openly embrace. "Seeds" is a dance album for the NYC underground that still romanticizes guitars over synthesizers; or perhaps a soul record for the overzealous rock critic. Whichever camp you subscribe to, the common ground of genre-leanings TVOTR could easily make the most caustic naysayer bob their head to the beat.
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