New Health Rock

by

TV on the Radio

Edit

TV on the Radio are among the unlikely hit bands, capturing a wider audience than anybody expected. The "New Health Rock" EP is an interesting three songs, albeit not entirely rewarding ones: two are extremely good, but the middle one is a bit of a fizzer.

The title track is a gritty, dancey song that gives a heady twist to typically catchy rock. Wedged in the middle is the well-named "Wrong Way" -- it sounds like it could've been a good song, but that the band never quite figured out what to do in it. Finishing things up is a murky, dark cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Modern Romance," complete with zombie vocals and electronic twiddles.

It's always a good sign when a young band experiments with their sound -- it ensures that the fans won't become bored, and the sound won't get stagnant. So it's good that TV on the Radio is stretching their wings into funkier, dancey indierock rather than resting on their laurels.

Not all experiments work. "Wrong Way" tried hard to be a weird experimental song, but it's too loose and meandering. However, the title track and ghostly Yeah Yeah Yeahs covers are excellent samples of TV on the Radio's rock style -- heavy, thick music paired with low growly vocals, almost like chants.

"New Health Rock" isn't a total success, but the first and last songs are definitely worth a listen. Here's hoping TV on the Radio goes off in those directions.