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Album Reviews
Originally released in 2001, this EP marks the beginning of Ed Harcourt's solo career. The specter of Tom Waits looms very large (with a bizarre stop off at Bill Frissell's Ghost Town) on "I've Become Misguided"; there's even talk of "an old trombone" and "weird things happening under the floorboards." In "He's Building a Swamp," he sings of "living in a burnt out Cadillac/sleeping in a sack/never leaving the track." Remember, this is somebody from the South Coast of England; a beige Mondeo doesn't have the same resonance, so instead we have tired pastiche. Similarly, "The Whistle of a Distant Train" struggles to be poignant, but sounds like a mournful karaoke over a backing of "In the Neighbourhood." Elsewhere there are hints of Beck, especially the chorus of "Hanging With the Wrong Crowd." The ventriloquism continues apace with Bono taking full possession of the Harcourt vocal cords in the strangely free-associative track, "Apple of My Eye": "I'm sick of this angst/don't need thanks/you're the apple of my eye." The best track is "Attaboy Go Spin a Yarn," which is saved by some welcome irony: "I'm not one for nostalgia/don't really like the past...it seems so easy to reflect on times gone by/I expect you'll spin a yarn 'til you die." Hardcourt has some talent, but he really doesn't have his own voice yet. Give him a few more years, and if the originality doesn't kick in, a lucrative career as an impressionist beckons. ~ Mark Joseph, All Music Guide
Track Listing
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Dear Science TV On The Radio |
| On the way to be established as the best American band of the decade, TV on the Radio's third album has arrived surrounded by five star reviews. Good news is the music totally justifies this level of hype. The Brooklyn-based combo has not abandoned their experimental nature; albeit "Dear Science" sounds deliberately shinier, funkier and more accessible than its, already polished, precursor "Return to Cookie Mountain." Lyrically, though, is quite a darker proposition. Many see on its tone a suitable metaphor to describe their country's collective mood, demoralized and confused, right at the end of Bush's presidency. The band's eclecticism is on full display: electro hooks next to D&B touches; shoegaze's atmospheric layers mixed with post-rock's bass lines via P-funk, often all in the same song. This sonic fusion can be as impressive as disorientating; rich and dense, but also the key that makes TV on the Radio's work improve with repeated listening. Main vocalist Tunde Adebimpe, often helped by guitar player Kyp Malone on second vocals, appears as a sort of missing link between Peter Gabriel and Prince; whereas David Sitek recently turned into producer du jour, applies his multi-instrument playing skills. Members of Antibalas guest on horns, highlighting the romance a new generation of US bands is having with African music. Celebration's Katrina Ford also helps in the mighty single "Golden Age" and the ballad "Family Tree", another of the album's many standout moments. . | |
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