Tv On The Radio
Young Liars

THE REVIEW

A low-voltage electric shock disrupts the initial flow of the E.P. continuously: a provocative synthesizer over which "Satellite" unfolds, before Tunde Adebimpe's black voice fills the atmosphere and shapes it with the intense and voluptuous harmonies from his repertoire, rich in doo-wop choruses and falsettos, influenced by soul music; a voice that blends impeccably with David Andrew Sitek's electronic melodies, while the guitar creates an enveloping sound beam; the chorus of the opening track catapults us into a vitreous environment: it's woven with a sort of afro-wave rap, then a flute, la la la la choruses, and howls create the concluding harmony.

"Staring At The Sun" picks up where "Satellite" left off, with a spiritual, evocative chorus, before a deep synthesizer disrupts the quiet, and we are at the usual point: the voice imposes itself on everything, on this sort of experimental indie-rock overshadowed by a synth-pop wave. "Blind" is groove, always continuing on the same track; the piano creates an amiable background step by step that gently drags us into a dead end, and only a few high notes try to shed light. In "Young Liars", there are intertwined and amalgamated choruses; it's rhythmic yet intense at the same time. These are songs that get lost in the Brooklyn nights, very evocative; where can you be? Waiting for a signal or a sound?

The signal or sound we were waiting for is the fifth track not included in the track list; doo-wop choruses start, and there's an immediate historical reminiscence: "Mr. Grieves" by the Pixies, here masterfully covered by the New York group. Fantastic, entirely a cappella, gospel atmospheres, accompanied by a hidden double bass, blending vocal choruses, whistles, finger snaps... It all fades away, leaving us open-mouthed. Do you have another opinion?