New York combo TV on the Radio made my #2 album of 2006, so when I learned that a track from their upcoming album, Dear Science, was available to stream on their web site, I clicked over there as fast as my mouse could take me. First of all, what’s the deal with indie rock bands and wedding announcement fonts? Are they trying to steal a little bit of Ellen DeGeneres’ blog fire? Okay, just had to get that out of the way. The song, “Golden Age,” is a little more accessible and straightforward than the angst-ridden material on Cookie Mountain; it’s got a jaunty little beat and buzzy synths reminiscent of Beck’s “Hell Yes,” although unlike that song’s focused, quirky minimalism, “Golden Age” builds and builds until the whole band is singing along with a crazy horn section. I’m having a bit of trouble making out the lyrics, although at one point Kyp appears to rhyme “natural disaster” with “ghetto blaster,” which deserves an award in and of itself. Either way, this is at least my song of the month.
Dear Science is out September 23 on Interscope. After the jump, Beck’s “Hell Yes” for comparison, and TV on the Radio’s “Wolf Like Me” from 2006’s Return to Cookie Mountain, just for fun.
Beck – “Hell Yes”
TV on the Radio – “Wolf Like Me”
