Snap Judgment: TV on the Radio usher in a "Golden Age"

TV on the Radio’s last album was — to greatly oversimplify a complex work of art — a moving meditation on the fate of human warmth in a time of conflict. Or maybe I misunderstood all those lyrics and it was a concept album about delicious crumbly desserts? Either way, Return to Cookie Mountain was a record that drove people pretty wild two years ago. So when the first taste of their dizzily awaited follow-up Dear Science went online this week, some of us fans just about lost it. Go over to TVOTR’s official website ASAP to hear teaser track “Golden Age” and you’ll see why. This song grabs you immediately with a super-tight electro/funk groove, then swiftly blossoms into effusive strings and synths — a brighter, lighter sound than most anything on Cookie Mountain. “There’s a golden age comin’ round, comin’ round, comin’ ro-o-o-ound!” crows Kyp Malone. Sure sounds like it.

My only disappointment is that this is not a Beck cover, but somehow I’ll forgive the guys because they are geniuses. TVOTR’s new album Dear Science is due in about a month, with “Golden Age” and 10 more songs. I know I can’t wait; can you?

addCredit(“TV on the Radio: Brian Hineline/Retna Ltd. “)