TV on the Radio - Dear Science

It could have gone horribly wrong of course; the widespread acclaim and subsequent confidence given to TVOTR by 2006’s seminal Return to Cookie Mountain (our album of the year, no less) might have led to indulgence and self-aggrandisement which would have spoiled the party not long after it got started. Thankfully, multi-instrumentalist Dave Sitek, vocalist Tunde Adebimpe and co. appear far too clever to fall into that trap. The myriad of stylings on display here are breathtakingly vast, yet mercifully understated; moulded into a collection of songs which run the gamut of experimentation without ever disappearing up the nearest available posterior.

We’re treated to funk (Crying), soul (Stork and Owl), moody electronica (superlative opener Halfway Home) and much more besides, but TVOTR make the whole exercise of listing genres track by track utterly futile; instead they invite you to pay homage to their superior musicianship, insightful lyricism and wonderful production, until you're overcome by the realisation that you're dealing with what will surely be recounted as a classic in future years. [Paul Mitchell]