When the fifth album from Brooklyn art rockers TV on the Radio was released in November, I was instantly hooked. The single, “Happy Idiot” is an enthralling and magnetic track about being so stupidly happy that you’re standing in the middle of the road, waving at cars, “Seeds” as a whole connects musical bridges and hones together indie, funk, synth pop, and melancholy rock. It’s got that total feel-good, emotional turmoil thing going on, and i don’t think anyone is complaining.
Fresh off their Big Sur debut at Henry Miller, Seeds marks the Brooklyn art rockers’ first studio record since losing bassist Gerard Smith to lung cancer three years ago. Like 2008’s “Dear Science”, “Seeds” distances itself just enough from esoteric places while embracing the right amount of pop. The vintage NYC punk number “Lazerray” and melodically whimsical “Happy Idiot” mark two of the 12 tracks
The songs here are great. Not as good as Dear Science, but better than Nine Types of Light. This one’s a little bit different – there’s less variety and more cheerfulness than normal, but still plenty to reward repeat listens and I’ve been playing it a lot.
So why not five stars? Well it just sounds… a bit boring. The sound is quite compressed so everything’s at about the same volume. Therefore it doesn’t grab the attention like it should, and after hearing it for a bit I find my mind starts to wander and it fades into the background. This is a real shame as the production on the last two albums was fantastic. If David Sitek had mastered this one in the same way it would easily be up there with Dear Science. However it’s still recommended.
The Fat Angel Sings 