Young Liars, released this past summer, was an intoxicating shotof dark, precise sound; at once both deeply passionate and eerilychilly, the product of a gospel choral that had lost its way andpreferred to creep out unsuspecting subway riders rather than bask inany holy warmth. While that EP showcased a few densely packed tracks,their new LP finds that intensity strung across a larger canvas,changing the shape and color into something that asks for more patienceand observation. "The Wrong Way" is a charmer, thudding along withsoupy bass and percussion as baritone and alto saxophones bleat andsupport the vocal harmonies of the three members, which sound like asnapping ragtime chorus, full bodied and drawling. Though the musicalfoundation is simple and loopy, it serves as a perfect background forthe expressive vocals that rise and fall with bursts of energy, beggingfor the pews to raise their hands and chime in. "Ambulance" eschews anykind of pretense that Tunde Adebimpe's vocals are not the core of thisband's power, dropping the fuzzy noise collages for an acapellaexcursion. Adebimpe's breathy triplets on the song's chorus of "I /will be / your / ac / ci / dent / if you / will be / my am / bu /lance," caress every syllable, giving them each proper considerationbefore spilling them out in his smooth baritone. Unfortunately, theslower tracks, like "Don't Love You," lack the amorphous, ephemeralquality that made "Blind" from their past EP such a spooky, alluringlisten. Where before a lurch was arresting, visceral, here they areclumsy and cautious. "Poppy" suffers from a relatively banal guitarriff that comprises the bulk of the track. While this is hardly enoughto invalidate any interest in Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes,it is indicative that the group finds themselves searching for the nextstep, the next mode for their sound. "Bomb Yourself" finds thosebrilliant harmonies sprawling across a bass heavy, dub-inflected bed,capturing a deep groove. The raw quality of TV on the Radio's energy,and their recklessly experimental tendencies make listening to everynook and cranny of their tinkered sound interesting, and hints at evenmore dramatic pieces in the future. Read More
