TV On The Radio: Seeds (Colored Vinyl, Free MP3) Vinyl 2LP

TV On The Radio return with their most accessible record yet! The band has been on hiatus since the death from lung cancer of bassist Gerard Smith in 2011. Now they're back with what may be the most hook filled, pop leaning album of their career. Songs like lead off single "Happy Idiot" and the slow moving "Trouble" will please fans while winning new ones. The songs tend to be more conventional than past albums, but experimental noises still pop up throughout the record. There's the Eno indebted intro to "Ride" that breaks into a motorik rhythm, along with the immediate dancability of "Lazerray." TV On The Radio don't shy away from driving, power chord filled rock either. At times it feels as if they're channeling Blur at their poppiest. The included bonus tracks give a window into two different sides of the band as well. "Nobody Else" sounds like future R&B while "Mystery Eyes" takes on bluesy indie rock. After a few years out of the spotlight Seeds showcases the depth of TV On The Radio.

• multi-colored marbled vinyl pressing
• two bonus songs on side d ("Nobody Else" and "Mystery Eyes")
• free download
• six page booklet with lyrics
• additional fourteen page booklet with artwork and lyrics for the two the bonus tracks
• lenticular translucent plastic sheet to slide over the front and back covers, as well as both booklets, to create animation-like effects
• music label: Harvest 2014

reviewed by Hank Ohs 11/2014