A review of TV On The Radio's "Seeds"

The fourth album from the brilliant, intricate, living, breathing mysteries that comprise TV On The Radio is light and dark and life and death and smiling in the rain and flying. Endless flying.

Seeds takes flight with the opening of "Quartz", sprinting from a mountain top and leaping into the clear, blue sky with Tunde Adebimpe howling, "how much do I love you?", and doesn't land...ever. This whole album soars, at different heights and at various times of day, borne aloft by their energy and voices, from start to finish. 

The fuzz must be mentioned: that great, synthy, 80's VHS fuzz on "Careful You", "Love Stained" and the title track; like warm, static-y hugs. Also, the unbridled, explosive energy of "Lazerray"*, the joyful, rocketing elation of "Ride",  which has a deceptively somber and reflective intro, the dark shimmer of their fantastic first single, "Happy Idiot"**, the thudding, syrupy throb of "Love Stained", the uplifting penultimate anthem, "Trouble" and, finally, the resolutely optimistic closer, "Seeds". Never before has optimism and acceptance been better exemplified in a lyric: "rain comes down, like it always does, but this time, I've got seeds on ground". Not just optimism but the plan to turn something that could be destructive into something beneficial. It's overwhelming, too bright to look at.

Aside from "Test Pilot" and "Winter", both of which serve to drag things down around them (the former with its lethargic, limping beat, the latter with its unending and annoying 90's cock rock guitar riff), this might be my favorite TVOTR album. It's certainly their most accessible, and yet, it still manages to be a challenging and engaging listen. Seeds makes more sense, but it's still active listening, there's always too much going on for this to be background music, a huge compliment when the majority of music out there is so quickly processed and forgotten.

I also have to take a moment and give praise to the album art, something, in this digital age of disposable and intangible music never mind my grumping, I'm old. The slipcover, when combined with the art in the liner notes, functions as a Moire pattern. I won't spoil the surprise, but this is, hands down, the most inventive use for album art I've seen since Marilyn Manson's Mechanical Animals. Way to give a shit, you guys.   

It's hard to focus on the overabundance of positivity and optimism on Seeds without addressing the passing of the band's long-time member, Gerard Smith. I can't help but wonder if his death spurred this deluge of hope and light, something like a push back against the horrible tragedy they underwent, spitting in the reaper's face.

"I think I love you / and it's starting to show"
"Everything's alright / just let me be your darling"

"Think about the future / I know it's mine / look to the sky / it's time to ride"

The rain might be coming down on Seeds, but the sun is out.

P.S. I (finally) had a chance to see TVOTR live and did so on the 18th of November at the Apollo Theater. Review here on SoundBlab.

* I want Futurama to come back solely to do a music video for this song.

** And what a strange music video to accompany it...