Dear Science

Time for a confession: I own the actual 1001 Albums book (2014 edition). This album was one of the few times where I felt compelled to crack open the tome and learn why deserved a place in the music history canon. After reading, I'm still not totally sure. There's reference to clear influences (Peter Gabriel and Prince) and the album's sound (soulful vocals over electronic explorations), but nothing that really answers as to WHY I'm listening to this. I think that TV On The Radio might just a be a middle-of-the-road indie darling to point to for hipster points (remember, this was 2008. Hipster culture was alive and well). But now, over a decade later in 2021, I feel this album needs some sort of staying power other than just being "pretty good". Was it largely influential? Did it build upon it's own influences in a unique and compelling way? Is it indicative of a certain music scene or genre? I need the people over at 1001 to throw me a bone with this one because I can't always pick up everything you're laying down. I guess when you're recommending 1001 albums, a few aren't going to stick the landing. We'll try again tomorrow, I suppose.

Had 0 expectations going in, and it turned out to be really cool and intersting. Also, one of the songs is used brilliantly in Breaking Bad, so thats something.

A band I never heard of, an album of songs I didn’t recognise. What a treat this was. So much going on, interest, varied, fun. Definitely one I will keep coming back to

I was so obsessed with their first EP and album when they came out. I really like their balance of instrumentation and electronics/samples. I think their greatest asset above all is Tunde Adebimpe's voice though. They are a great example of a sort of "post modern" band that don't come off too arty as to be inaccessible. Similar to Talking Heads perhaps in that way. Interesting combination of influences that ends up culminating in their own unique sound.

Don't know how I missed probably a decade of this band being relevant, liked them more and more the more I've heard, this was an unexpected good find

Brilliant record. I have had this band recommended to me for years, but tried to listen to them before my tastes had expanded. This album was wonderfully written, arranged, and produced and fearlessly explores and transcends genre. My favorite tracks were Halfway Home, Golden Age, and DLZ.

"A bombshell: as good as it undoubtedly is, this record isn't going to change your life. Nor will it be considered an OK Computer or a Velvet Underground & Nico in ten years' time. Did it ever promise to be? Some people seemed to think so, and many still might." - Rob Webb, Drowned in Sound. It's ten years on, and I think his prediction has become true. This was the flavour the year, 2008, but do we really still need to listen to this record? It sounds great, it's smart and approachable, even if little short on real hooks and energy. 1001 Albums; I suspect this was a relatively fresh album when putting together whatever edition this went into, but I'm willing to bet it will be cut from the next edition. Just my little prediction there.

This is one on the greatest album of the 2000's decade. There is nothing else that sounds quite like it. You could always point out "Oh, they took inspiration from Radiohead, Brian Eno..." and so on and so on, but Dear Science is such a bigger project that stands out more that the influences that fed it. The electronic/synth undertones with the funky bass is the perfect backbone for the talents of this band. There are so many layers in these songs, but they never feel overdone. I think there's something for everybody in this album, which is its greatest strength. TV on the Radio knew what they were doing when they made this. Favorite Song: Family Tree Least Favorite: Really can't pick one...the whole album is phenomenal.

A lot of great records lately! This album is packed with ideas and a sampling of flavours across the indie, funk, soul, and rock spectrum. I can't help but imagine Prince grooving to this. There's something so rooted, yet forward facing about the music. This album holds up remarkably well 14 years later--it sounds like it could have been released last week. 4.5/5 Favourite track: "Halfway Home"

Maybe the best band to come out this millennium. Like a more funky Arcade Fire

Pour être très franc avec vous, je m'attendais à entendre un album de musique et non le service client d'un opérateur téléphonique. On clique sur Dear Science et on est immédiatement plongé dans l'attente: "Patientez, un conseiller va vous répondre..." On se demande alors dans quoi Robert Dimery vient de nous embarquer. "Restez en ligne, un conseiller va vous répondre..." Au bout d'une cinquantaine de minutes, on nous dit la phrase suivante : "Tous nos conseillers sont actuellement en ligne, nous vous invitons à renouveller votre appel ultérieurement." Quelle frustration...

Blech - songwriting is at best cheesy/lazy, the tonal flow jumps all over the place, and the tracks are too long by at least 1-2 minutes each. This is the first album that's made me question the mechanism behind the list. Surely there are more seminal albums from the aughts than this one?

Didn’t do it for me. Really didn’t see what was so special about this album.

I'm having a hard time coming up with much to say on this one. It wasn't bad. Groovy, nice diverse range of instruments and styles made sure it never felt boring. But it also wasn't really compelling. Like I could see myself digging it if played live. But I wouldn't probably only see them if they were an opening act. Still might pick up the merch tho. My hottest take is that this sounds like what would happen if Donalg Glover convinced Flight of the Concords to make a serious album, and helped produce it. Ultimately I question why it's on a list of 1001 most important albums of all time or w/e. It's just some indie rock. Highlights: The last part of Lover's Day Lowlight: Family Tree.

I appreciate this more than I enjoy it. Great song structures and production, some really catchy stuff, but somehow it never totally gets in my head.

This is an affirmation that I’m not just tired of that one song they have, but that I really do not like them. There was maybe one good song on here, but too much of it sounded like dudeman was trying waaaaaay to hard to sound like Bowie and failed miserably. I’d give it 0 if I could. Awful.

Pretty much a perfect album. 5/5

Awesome album that beautifully blends post-punk, art rock, funk, and electronic elements. Every song rules. 5 stars.

This album had a huge influence on my musical tastes when it arrived in 2008, and my opinion of it has only improved since then. No other band sounds quite like TV on the Radio, and TV on the Radio has never before or again sounded as good as they do on this album. It is the pinnacle of a completely unique art rock style the band commands all to themselves; a near-perfect listen from start to finish. I couldn't even describe the least memorable songs on this album like "Stork & Owl" and "Red Dress" as anything less than great. Meanwhile, the best songs on this album "Golden Age" and "DLZ" are on my playlist of all-time favourite songs, across all genres. Standout tracks: There isn't a bad (let alone average) song on this album, but the cream of the crop for me are "Halfway Home", "Golden Age", "Family Tree", "Love Dog" and "DLZ".

This album has no business being this great, straight banger after banger

They had me charmed from the ba-ba-ba ba ba at the start of the Peter Gabriel-esque Halfway Home. I love this song a lot a lot a lot. My love continues through Crying, Dancing Choose ("bought a sweater for his Weimaraner, too"), the funky bass and glorious chorus of Golden Age, Love Dog, and Dogs of Light. And finally, my favorite, Shout Me Out, with its tempo change and wailing second half. The songs are hard to categorize but this record is good good good.

Wow. This was totally unexpected... Every track is completely different - so mature and interesting. Prob my favourite new album so far! Fav new track: Tough to call and will prob change on re-listens, but maybe Love Dog.

This was a decent album, especially for some groovy indie rock with electronic influences. I remember TV on the Radio being a big deal in the mid to late 2000s, but back then, from what I recall, they always seemed okay but not particularly interesting to me. This was my first time listening to this album, and while it’s decent for what it is and slightly more engaging than I expected, it still doesn’t grab me all that much.

On Dear Science, TV On The Radio continues to carve out their niche as the thinking person's indie band, merging eclectic sounds with cerebral themes.

Music media darling. Awfully catchy front to back, and DLZ is now inseparable from the "stay out of my territory" scene in Breaking Bad. But it didn't, like, blow my mind right out, and unfortunately I've been conditioned to expect that from all the times I've seen allusions to this album.

This was a really good album. It's well written, clever, emotional, and fun. It's the kind of album that, had I been in a different mood, would probably have gotten a 5 star review from me. Objectively, it's a little too easy to ignore but it's easily a 4-star album.

I'm not sure why I thought this was a band from the 80s, but considering that this album came out in 2008, it's a great mix of the sound from the early 2000s and today.

TV on the Radio son una banda excelente, con una discografía impoluta, especialmente sus primeros tres discos. Cierto es que este tercero no es el mejor de los tres y no contiene su mejor canción: Wolf like me. Sin embargo es un disco brillente con temas excelentes, entre ellos la inicial Halfway home o Golden Age (que marcó el camino a Arcade Fire). Family Tree y Red Dress tienen una producción brillante y Lover´s day es un cierre maravilloso. Ahora bien 2008 tuvo mejores discos aunque no mucho: In rainbows , el 3º de Portishead, el debut de Vampire Weekend, el de Fleet Foxes o el de MGMT (con reservas), Velocifero, Microcastle...

Lot of things going on there, but at some point, it's so over referenced that there is no point to listening it...

A little baffled by the glowing praise Dear Science received from press outlets at the time. It’s perfectly acceptable late-00s indie rock, nothing more and nothing less.

An album I respect but wouldn't choose to listen to often. The sonic landscape is rich and interesting, but I like more hooks in my music.

I legitimately don't know how I feel about this. One second, I really like it, the next, I hate it. Stop confusing me, music.

La situation est très simple: je ne présenterai plus une seule review construite tant qu'on n enous aura pas confirmé que la piste 3 de cet album est en fait la musique d'attente de l'URSSAF: robpenitencier est actuellement sur le coup, nous vous tiendrons au courant dès que possible.

This is the most meh albums I’ve listened to yet. It doesn’t make me happy, mad, annoyed, excited, tired, or anything else really. I really have no idea as to why this is on the list but The Colour and The Shape isn’t. (2)

I've always wondered if I just missed the TV On The Radio moment or I don't like their sound. There may be more of their albums on this list. But so far I'm coming around to the latter.

Hard to get into. A real eclectic mix of styles that sits squarely in the middle of that post-rock age led by the likes of Radiohead. Given that I couldn't get into post-rock, its no surprise I'm not into this. It's both interesting that they've managed to integrate so many styles (punk, rap, dance/electronica, roots, etc) but also off-putting in ways I can't put into words.

The songs on here had such potential. Was so close to being a sound, an experience, that I was looking for. But it just never made it to that level. Fun, but just not something I will be replaying. "Golden Age" was catchy and probably my favorite. All in all though the songs just melded together into sort of a nothingness.

Strange style, very much of the time

I agree with Andy here.This album is too busy from start to finish. There’s too much going on during the opener and the closer. Is this indie, pop, or rock? It’s all of the above. Is it amazing, good, bad, or garbage? Again all of the above. Props to Dancing Choose for giving me Everything Everything vibes and for Golden Age for giving us a cool Phish cover. I thought Family Tree, Love Dog and DLZ were some of the better songs. All 11 songs had the potential to be something but couldn’t commit. I’m shocked this got as much praise as it did in 08.

I don’t get this band. I can see why people like them but they just aren’t for me. Not bad, just not enjoyable.

Wow, I really don't understand this one. It's a wild mix of styles, yet, the band is bad at every single one of those styles.

This just kind of sucks. Can't tell what kind of genre it's supposed to be. Bad singing all around. 3/10.

Couldn’t even finish it. Wasn’t for me

No

Das ist meist langweilig, stellenweise nervt es aber auch. Übermäßig bemüht, aber nicht gekonnt. Sind das schon 2 Sterne? Wenn man nach dem 10. von 11 Songs ausmacht und keinerlei Interesse hat, den Rest zu Ende zu hören - vermutlich nicht.

the best of emotive rock. Stirring, entertaining, persuasive, and awesome.

The absolute best album I've heard so far with this album listening thing. Totally my vibe. Going to listen to them some more if I remember later on!

Grooves well and easily and convincingly, without overreaching or trying too hard. And certainly they knew/know their way around the indie rock map, but – critically – how to embroider and spin it up into something new, fresh and just a litlte bit different. Plus artier, with excellent use of strings, brass and percussion. One can't help but like a good bit of it, given how much it sounds like other favorite bands (e.g., the National, Radiohead). One particularly digs the opener and "Stork & Owl." "Golden Age" and "Red Dress" are cool and funky, but not too. "Family Tree" is legit and lovely. "Shout It Out" is how to do mid-tempo set-up for near full-on banging. "Lover's Day" is an excellent closer – rich and interesting and wholly satisfying. The little "cool" on the exit into silence, a few seconds after the last note closes the deal – there's a humility about it that suggests one would like these guys as well as their music. This is so thoughtful and well executed and holds up so well that's it's destined to be called Dad Rock.

i didn't watch show, but after this album i want to. Good thing. Very good :>

It sounds really original, and it's an intriguing listen.

So good! I used a TV on the Radio song on a spot I cut a while ago and really liked the track, but never listened to them after that much. Don't know why. This album was a bit different than that track, but looking at their Spotify bio (which is kind of humorously braggadocious) apparently they are known for constantly evolving their sound. There weren't many clunkers but highlights for me included: "Crying," "Stork & Owl," "Shout Me Out," and "DLZ"

This hit me to an audible ‘wow’ and has kept my attention since. Every listen a new layer. While early days, this could be the triumph of the project.

Dear Science was released in 2008, and I did not like it then. I spend the next couple of years thinking I did not like OK Computer by Radiohead, because apparently the two combinations of artist names and albums are inseparable in my mind (Dear Computer by TV On The Radiohead). I know think both albums are pretty swell.

Listen again

TV on the Radio have one of the most distinctive sounds here. I was familiar with the hits, but they worked very well in the context of the album. And just when it starts to slow down a bit, it ends on a hell of a one-two. Great listen!

It was unavailable in my country.

Reminds me of my college years.

Wow. I am stunned at how great this album is, because I didn't really like the other TV on the Radio album I've had. That album had far too much falsetto and was overly distracting. This album, however, is unique song after unique song with crazy electronic sounds, funky beats, much more approachable singing, and incredibly layered songs. I liked pretty much everything here. Golden Age, Crying, Red Dress, all awesome. My favorite is Love Dog. I really like the bass riff at the end, just a beautiful song.

Really loved this. Textured, melodic, dramatic, compelling.

I can't understate how much I like TV On The Radio. And how much the album STILL keeps growing with every listen. It's also one of those albums that's really better with headphones.

Fantasies. Eclectic with a lot to like. Added to my general music rotation.

"Dear Science" by TV On The Radio is an eclectic masterpiece that blends various genres, seamlessly combining elements of rock, jazz, and electronic music. The album is characterized by its innovative soundscapes and introspective lyrics, exploring themes of love, mortality, and social issues. Tracks like “Wolf Like Me” and “Dancing Choose” showcase the band's dynamic energy and lyrical depth, making it a compelling listen that invites both reflection and movement. Overall, "Dear Science" stands out as a bold and artistic statement, solidifying TV On The Radio's place in the modern music landscape.

I really love this album. Not sure how I got into it when it came out, maybe it was that it was album of the year in a couple of publications, but from the first listen it grabbed me. Great songs throughout, not sure what the lyrics are about and don’t care. Easily in my Top 10 albums of the 21st century, along with: Zero 7 — Simple Things — 2001 Fountains of Wayne — Welcome Interstate Managers — 2003 The Decemberists — Crane Wife — 2006 LCD Soundsystem — Sound of Silver — 2007 Selena Gomes — When the Sun Goes Down — 2011 I made my own surround sound mix of this back when I did my own mixes, and it is quite good, if I do say so myself.

Loved it! Was bopping my head throughout the whole album and even found one song to add to my Liked collection.

I love this album

Good one

Don't know what to make of this album - it's not the best album of the era, but I always liked it when I put it on, back in 2008. And now, 16 years later (my my), when I heard it again, I had the same feeling - it immediately resonated again with me, with some actually strong standout songs, so I guess it holds up really well to me. Also, I cannot highlight what a perfect song DLZ was during the 'stay out of my territory scene' in Breaking Bad - one of the best timed song inserts. I'm kind of feel uncomfortable giving this a 5 star rarting, but I honestly can't find much fault with it.

5 - this is a more tentative 5, I need to relisten and really get what's going on, but a good portion of it had me captivated like many of my favorites

I saw these guys open for None Inch Nails sometime between 2005 and 2010? I've been hooked ever since. They get lumped in with the Indy bands from their era but that are not Indy.

I was passingly familiar with the band, but what an enjoyable album it is. This is one of the clearest examples I have encountered of the variety of works that have influenced more contemporary indie music.

I've heard of TV on the Radio, and I’ve seen this album listed on several best of lists, both for 2008, and for the 2000’s, and despite getting into Indie Rock at the time this came out, I’ve never listened to it. I really don’t have any idea what to expect, but I’m cautiously optimistic about this album. This album was fantastic, and I’m kicking myself that I never listened to it until today. I loved the unique sound, and the band does a fantastic job of blending horns, strings, and guitars with various electronic elements. The arrangements are beautiful, and on songs like “Crying,” the rhythms make these songs incredibly infectious and fun. You can hear the influences that made this album what it is, but it’s never derivative, and it has no problem standing on its own two feet. Some of the songs start off a little jarring and bare, like “Stork & Owl,” before cascading into a sweeping blend of strings and synthesizers. I was hooked from the first notes of “Halfway Home,” but I was afraid that the rest of the album wasn’t going to live up to that moment, but this album was fantastic from start to finish, and I listened to it three times. The more familiar I got with this album, the more I loved it. It’s hard to pick a favorite moment, but “Halfway Home,” “Crying,” “Golden Age,” and “Red Dress” are all fantastic. This album reminds me of some of my favorite bands from this era: Yeasayer, Miike Snow, Arcade Fire, and others, but it’s so unique that I can’t broadly compare this to anything else. This album is going into my regular rotation, and I’m so happy I got to listen to it today.

This is such an awesome album. It gives me a 2000s grunge feel, in addition to all the other blends of genres they bring in.

Gute Reise durch die Geschichte der (neueren) Musik. Dabei fast immer entspannt.

I had no idea what to expect from this, and I really enjoyed it. The music is superb, the vocals lovely. I especially like Stork&Owl, Golden Age, Family Tree, and Halfway Home. This is the first long album where I look at the number of tracks and go "YES, I want even more!". Standout lyrics: "Turn from the fear of the storms that might be". "We're laying in the shadow of your family tree/your haunted heart and me"

Great

I had not heard this band before but I wish I had. Every song on this album is worthy of more listens. 5 stars or A.

Damn. I’m not even done with my first listen and I already want to rate this a 5. The quality here is crazy. Music is tight as shit. So complex, while still being a goddamned bop. I’m mad at how good this is. Don’t even get me started on the lyrics. This is ridiculous. There’s real art here.

Still feel like I'm not cool enough to like their music. But, there's no filler on this album.

Insert fawning fangirl babbling here.

Fuck it I’ll give them a 5. This album rocks and is super innovative.

Man do I love this band. TV on the Radio were so incredibly cool and it's a shame that they haven't released anything in the past 10 years (as of this writing). Tunde Adebimpe, David Andrew Sitek, and Kyp Malone had such great chemistry and made such fun albums. 'Dear Science' is arguably their greatest work (although personally, I'm torn between this and their debut album). My biggest criticism is that my favorite song, 'Family Tree' is right there in the middle and always delays me listening straight to the end, as I can't help putting that song on repeat.

Perfect!

Dear Science, I was a rabid Return To Cookie Mountain fan and I didn't give you the credit you deserved when you arrived on the scene. Sometimes it takes a while for us to open our ears and minds to the music that even our favorite artists make. While you're not my first or second favorite TVOTR record, you're still great.

Whoa! Second TV On The Radio album I've gotten here and I think I like this one even better than the last. Great soundtrack to my train ride back to Berlin on a Monday evening.

TV On The Radio is a band that made alt rock of a type that is difficult to classify; it is guitar based rock with funk, electronic, and punk influences that use loops and poly-rhythms to create a sound that is unique and beautiful. Dear Science is their third studio album, and their most critically and commercially successful. The album topped several "Album of the Year" lists for 2008. Dear Science showcases the incredible mixture that TV on the Radio creates. Undercurrents of electronic ambience and polyrhythms create the textures of their work, and band's extensive use of loops makes the soundscapes of different tracks. Tunde Adebimpe's rich, unusual vocals and engaging lyrics adds one of the potentially defining elements to the band's sound. In particular, his use of falsetto vocalizations - like in "Love Dog" - or just falsetto, like in "Golden Age"- is one of the memorable parts of Adebimpe's skills.

Love this band and album. Cookie Mountain may be my all time favorite of theirs, but Dear Science is ALWAYS an absolute delight to revisit and contains some of their absolute best work.

While I prefer Nine Types of Life I will forever appreciate that this site (and book) will but anything by TVOTR in the ears of more people.

Love the sudden tempo change in Halfway Home, the whole mood shifts with it, on its axis. Remember it way back when it was the theme to Skins with Nicholas Hoult. Didn't watch it, just loved the theme. Oh and iTunes gave it away as a song back when they did that sort of thing, and anyone still used it. Anyway yeah I really like the whole record. Several songs just make me break out into a grin. Particularly Love Dog I see I inexplicably gave the other TV album 4* despite a mediocre review. Hey, my rating is inconsistent as hell. I can't give this 5 stars just because I like it. However every song is different, and memorable in some way, despite most not being on recall if I'm not listening to the song. Which in a way keeps them fresh. Fuck it, 5 stars.

Ooh, this reminds me of the Republic of Loose! Family Tree is such a beautiful teardrop of a song

This is the second album of TVOTR on this list. The first was their debut, which was a high 3 for me. But this is so much better. The lyrics and the music are excellent, as is the production. This is one of those gems I hoped to find on this list.

Bastante guay. Una mezcla de The National, con Bowie y un poco U2. Venga! un 5!

Was fully prepared to cringe at this one, and here it is flirting with a 5. I really held myself out of some great music in the aughts (and some really terrible music as well). Screw it, the 5 is earned here. Each song is arranged incredibly. This is a fun mixture of traditional rock and Indie feels, and I greatly look forward to having these guys in my Spotify recommendations going forward. Favorite track: Red Dress

Paras genre.. Kappaleista löytyu blind channeliä..

Life changing

They were not on my radar. Now they are, and I’m going to have to listen to everything they’ve done, because this is great. Bowie meets Gorillaz.

5/5

What a perfect and brilliant album. I loved this at the time and it has aged so well. A joy to listen to.

Ok

I love everything about this band and this album

Bastante guay. Una mezcla de The National, con Bowie y un poco U2. Venga! un 5!