Dear Science
TV On The Radio
2008
Album Summary
Dear Science is the third studio album by the band TV on the Radio. It was released on September 16, 2008, digitally through Touch and Go Records, with the physical release coming a week later through Interscope Records and DGC Records in North America and 4AD elsewhere.
WikipediaHad 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.
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
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
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...
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.
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.
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.
Maybe the best band to come out this millennium. Like a more funky Arcade Fire
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"
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.
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.
This album has no business being this great, straight banger after banger
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".
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Didn’t do it for me. Really didn’t see what was so special about this album.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
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?
I really like this one and thought it was pretty groundbreaking when I first heard it, like another divot into the great fairway of life. Especially Red Dress, but especially Golden Age.
Pretty good! Some parts reminded me of All berkrovitz band, and some others reminded me of more popular indie bands
Funky Indie, that should be a genre right? And this album should have led the Funky Indie charge. Although most indie bands going funk are an absolute car crash so maybe not. TOTR are one of the most consistently brilliant bands of the last 20 years. All of their first three albums including this one are stone-cold classics.
Would probably get a 4 without the nostalgia factor. Used to listen to this one a lot when I was younger, I think it has a great mix of different tracks and genres: fav tracks crying and love dog.
Have not listened to this for years forgot how much I enjoyed listening to them, will listen more :)
Loved it. Loved everything about it. Will listen to many songs on repeat. Very welcome entry. Already listened three times to determine whether it's a 4 or a 5.
Used to listen to this a lot, great record with loads of different styles
I only really knew their single Wolf Like Me that I've heard from time to time but otherwise not too familiar with TV on the Radio. Some good Rock with energy, some psychadelic flavor and vocals at times, and just solid jams all around. I liked this, would definitely add to the playlist.
This was really something else. Kind of reminded me of LCD Soundsystem, with a disco vibe, and yet it was something uniquely its own. This will quickly be added to my rotation.
I realized early that this album contains exactly the kind of anthemic rock that appeals to me. While I have some reservations about some of the instrumentation, the raw appeal can't be denied, and neither can the idiosyncrasy and blend of ideas. I may regret thinking I like TV On The Radio after just one album, but the entire project has the magnetism that certain singles do for me.
Wow. Really enjoyed this album from start to finish. Variety, musicality and it even sounded like Prince singing a couple of times. I honestly had to check to make sure it wasn't. One of the better recommendations found via this 1001 albums list.
Nice one, a good find. Lots going on with horns, strings, ballads and dance tracks. Will defo listen again.
Bastante guay. Una mezcla de The National, con Bowie y un poco U2. Venga! un 5!
really smart and evocative. these guys know how to put a record together.
This album has brilliant and moving lyrics that explore our values (or lack thereof). Family Tree is a tragic love song about a black / white relationship. The image of a black person (the black woman in this case?) hanging from a tree is a powerful depiction of society's character defects. Dylan used this image in the opening verse of Desolation Row. I also like the experiments with noise such as at the end of Shout Me Out and, to a lesser extent, Crying. The percussion is also very good and carries the melody in DLZ which is one of the best songs on the album.
I've heard TV On The Radio before but I never really got into an album. This has been one of the best musical experiences for me so far in the album generator thing. The tracks are very different but mostly full of vocal experimentation and up-tempo rythms.
This album slaps! I like the differing genres in the music, making it hard to define in one umbrella. It also makes the album very enjoyable to listen to.
One of the highlights of post-Funeral, major label 00s indie. Can tell a lot of money has been spent on this, but it's all worthwhile. A generous 5 but this was a special album for me.
I hadn’t ever heard of tv on the radio before this but I loved this album. My fav song was actually a song of theirs that came on after the album ended on Spotify but overall I liked every song on the album especially crying and dlz
I dug this album. It's weird listening to mid 2000s music and hearing just how many influences they pulled from. Dancing Choose was the stand out track for me.
This was a major album for me during my college years. Listening to it again, it’s amazing mix of cacophony and subtle timbres. “Love Dog” is still one of my favorite songs, the mix of heavy drums and love-lorn cooing is a perfect combination.
a pleasant surprise of an album. genuinely inventive alt-pop. even the remixes tacked onto the end of the version i listened to were good. my first 5-star album so far.
Two great albums in a row! Every song is entertaining in its own way, those can be funky, uplifting, melancholic or just simply instrumental, they all have that energy, that is so compelling and contagious. Two singles, "Golden Age" and "Dancing Choose" don't really stand out, because the whole record is very even - and at a high level. The real highlight of the album is the song "TMZ". It hits all the right tones, both lyrics-wise and instrumental. Guitar work is really extraordinary on this album, maybe not overly complicated, but it fits the overall style perfectly. It's a great album, and I'm eager to listen to the whole discography of TV On Yhe Radio in the near future.
I saw this band open for Nine Inch Nails years ago and really enjoyed them. I bought the album Return to Cookie Mountain, but it never resonated with me. I never went back to explore this band further. That said, I really enjoyed this album. Very inventive songwriting and instrumentation. I’m adding this to my normal rotation, and really need to give Cookie Mountain another chance. There wasn’t a song on it I disliked.
This was quite an unexpectedly good listen. It has nostalgic 80's vibes combined with distinct 2000's sound.
I love this album, another one that I listened to a lot in college. It took me a while to get into it fully, but when it did it took hold! Especially love Dancing Choose, Golden Age, Family Tree and DLZ.
Wow, legit covers a lot of ground. Red Hot Chili Peppers meets Prince. Damn.
Brilliant album, I've only heard one song from a later album by this band, but yeah. Unexpected and amazing discovery. So eclectic and interesting, love it! Will definitely be coming back to this one, Stand outs: Halfway Home, Crying, Stork & Owl, DLZ
To my ears one of the best albums this century. Could be a Prince/Bowie collaboration at the height of their powers, and I don't say that lightly. I know every note and it's all fantastic
Hell yeah. I know I listened to this when it was new, but I forgot how good it was. I wasn't quite as taken with it as Return to Cookie Mountain, but putting 15 years between listens, it is a very good album. 4.5/5
Wow! I loved This! Tito is correct I hear so many influences, Prince, Bowie, flight of the conchords, Tom Petty, Bloc Party of course and so many more. I have heard one song on this album before DLZ. I really can go hard with this, I give it a 4.5 but I’m rounding up because I want this to have a higher average haha.
Mindblowingly good, despite hideous cover. Really excited that it’s by a nearly all black rock band.
Wow! This was excellent. I really liked their style, and will definitely check out more from them.
This is precisely why I embarked on listening to random albums. Somehow I had never even heard of this band. This album is fantastic, so many different styles covered and all done so well. I feel like I've found treasure. Highlights: Dancing Choose Red Dress DLZ
Great album and great band! Had always heard good things but have never listened. Great construct between two singers voices
Brooklyn Indie. I’m supposed to like it. But it sounds like music I’m supposed to like.
I really enjoyed this and would listen to it again. TV on the Radio is a band I had occasionally heard a song or two from, and liked, but had never really sought out. I may be on the verge of fandom after this.
I know I’ve heard this group before because I recognize the voice and sound. But I don’t think I’d heard any of this one. It’s pretty good, I enjoy it musically and at times when I’ve paid attention, lyrically. The silent track was probably interesting …. Once. Then just annoying. I’ll check more of them out.
Está cool, mezcladito, el rock etiquetado luego ya como "indie" por no tener mejor categoría (aunque seguro hay alguna más específica). Es ruidoso hasta cierto punto, como un poco caótico en sus medio distintos ritmos. Mis favoritas fueron "Crying" y "DLZ", no conocía nada de TV On The Radio, según yo. O no recuerdo... 8/10
4.2 + TVOTR sounded like a band that was able for a brief period to harness their collective talent in full and stretch it to almost to its breaking point. The creative energy and ambition in this record burst forth at every turn. The rhythms, the sounds, the lyrics, the vocals. It’s undeniable.
Buena experiencia. Disfruté tdoas las canciones aunque no es mi estilo esta música indie (?), una canción que no recuerdo cual me sonó a Coldplay y nada más por eso no doy 5 jajaja. La que más me gustó fue dog love porque suena conmovedora y se queda en mi playlist de música melancolisad.
Spent a lot of time listening to this before. Very good front half, some dips in the second half.
A bouncy album. The songs are long, but I was surprised at how short they feel when I’m listening to them. It might be partially due to the constant shifts in the sound that spans each song (and that spans the album, really). No one song sounds too much like another, but the sounds aren’t so disparate that the album lacks cohesion. There are definite highlights (“Crying”; “Golden Age”; “Family Tree”; “Shout Me Out”) and the best of the album outruns the album’s worst parts (“Red Dress”; “DLZ”). And, like every album on the cusp of being great, this album has songs that I can’t figure out if I like regardless of how many times I listen (“Dancing Choose”; “Love Dog”). All in all, a really great album. 7.5/10.
On the third song, so far this album is top notch. Listened to a couple of TV On The Radio albums before and enjoyed both of them but this one beats both those out by miles. 4/5 so far. Finished the album, still a 4/5. Maybe 4.5/5 even. Really good.
Maybe it was because my first listen was pre-coffee (grumpy boy), but I liked this immensely more on the second listen. First half is damn good, went 5/5 on liked songs and eventually just went and saved the album. Didn't like the second half quite as much, brought me down on the album overall as I felt it dragged on a bit. Still, the start was good enough for me to give this a solid 4. Saved: Halfway Home, Crying, Dancing Choose, Stork & Owl, Golden Age, DLZ
I had never listened to this album in it's entirety before. Very well done, reminds me of what my old band tried to do at times. Dig it.
Ecléticismo máximo sin dejar de pisar el acelerador. Art pop, post punk, funk, soul, electro rock, post trip hop, gospel y así hasta el infinito. Divertido y sin descanso.