TV On the Radio - Nine Types of Light
Having long been something of an underground hit, TV On the Radio finally got real widespread attention with the 2008 release of Dear Science, a perfect combination of gutsy blues-rock and pop sensibilities from the Brooklyn-based art rock outfit. With their fifth studio album came the tragic news that bassist Gerard Smith was diagnosed with lung cancer - so tragic because of the sheer funkiness of album opener 'Second Song''s bassline. It's almost a big band take on the Go! Team, combining grand instrumentation and rich sounds with simple, guttural hooks. 'Keep Your Heart' sounds something like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds collaborating with OutKast - another interesting combination of desperate romanticism and blues-pop that's as catchy as it is crooning. 'You' could just easily be put onto an Apple advert, with its bass hooks and kind of MGMT-style walls of synths that ebb and flow nicely and remind me a little bit of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whilst th...