My Favorite Record: TV on the Radio's 'Nine Types of Light'

One of my favorite records of all time is TV on the Radio's ethereal and eclectic fourth studio record Nine Types of Light. The Brooklyn, New York based band delivered on Nine Types of Light a record that was/is at once true to the band's unusual tastes and yet more open and accessible to fans who may have found previous TVOTR records impenetrable, arty, or just inaccessibly singular.

Nine Types of Light begins with a seriously crunchy horn and guitar groove on the the wonderfully oddly titled Second Song. While lead singer Tunde Adebimpe sings of defending his love from some sort of onslaught, the multiple synthesizers, horns, and guitars offer a scratchy groove that goes smooth just as a gorgeous harmony of Oooh, oooh ooohs, begin to drift beautifully through your speakers.

The second track, I'm Gonna Keep Your Heart, on the other hand, has a more traditional TV on the Radio vibe, a bit experimental, a little odd but beautiful in its way. I'm Gonna Keep Your Heart has similar transition from crunchy groove to smooth chorus. In a change up from Second Song however, the guitars on I'm Gonna Keep Your Heart take the lead here while the synth offers a wonderfully unusual electric undercurrent.

I'm Gonna Keep Your Heart also features a wonderful layering of the voices in the band with Adebimpe hitting amazing high notes over one very deep bass and some terrific middle ground voices. The effect is a magnificent sound that is perfectly suited to the layered sound of the song overall where strings overlay, synth.

Track three, You, is by far my favorite on the whole record with its distinct 80's pop vibe that lays perfectly over TV on the Radio's typical sonic assault of layered synth, guitar bass and drum machine. Imagine the music of Kajagoogoo or The Fixx only heavier and slowed to an almost R & B jam vibe and you get the idea of You.

Later, in the track list of Nine Types of Light the band lapses into seriousness with the abstract polemic No Future Shock. It's an effective bit of angry pop that laments the world's lack of leadership, corrupt cops, drug addiction and the ever eroding environment. The lyrics are unusual and require some interpreting but they are fitting of the chaotic sonic assault of the synth and drums.

As if to soothe you after assaulting you with No Future Shock, the next track, Killer Crane, is a gorgeous, ethereal ballad that wanders on for more than six soothing minutes. The poetic lyrics craft images of birds flying, of the freedom of flight, while the music invites you to let your mind float along as if on a synthesizer and organ created cloud.

The provocatively titled Caffeinated Consciousness closes the record and while it invites notions of an angry polemic ala No Future Shock the track is actually a classically TV on the Radio groove with lyrics about optimism for the future and a greener hideaway at the tail end of the sun. The combination of a hard rap lyric is suffused by Adebimpe and his silky chorus.

Nine Types of Light has a particular poignancy as it was the last record that the band recorded with bassist Gerard Smith who passed away from cancer just nine days after the record was released, April 20th 2011. Smith had joined the band in 2005 just in time for the breakthrough record Return to Cookie Mountain. Nine Types of Light should not have been his last record but his work and the band's work on this record is a fitting tribute.

I was never meant to listed to Nine Types of Light. TV on the Radio was not a band that was remotely on my radar. But, in 2008, I saw TVOTR lead singer in the movie Rachel Getting Married and I fell in love with his soft spoken manner, he appeared to be playing at least a version of himself. I wanted to know more about him, especially after hearing him sing a little in the film and adoring his voice.

I was just reminiscing about Rachel Getting Married in an article about why I became a critic. It led me back to Nine Types of Light and what the record meant to me and still means to me to this day. If you find the time, I highly recommend checking out Nine Types of Light. It's emotional, it's frank, and unpredictable all while it turns out banger after banger of experimental punk-pop-rock.