Dear Science

Dear Science is the third studio album by American rock band TV on the Radio. It was released on September 16, 2008, digitally through Touch and Go Records, with the physical release coming a week later through Interscope Records in North America and 4AD elsewhere.[1]

Dear Science
Studio album by TV on the Radio
Released	September 16, 2008
Recorded	2008
Studio	Stay Gold (Brooklyn, New York)
Genre	Indie rock art rock funk soul post-punk
Length	50:21
Label	Interscope Touch and Go 4AD
Producer	David Andrew Sitek
TV on the Radio chronology
Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) Dear Science (2008) Nine Types of Light (2011)
Singles from Dear Science
"Golden Age" Released: August 26, 2008 "Dancing Choose" Released: September 9, 2008

History

Dear Science was recorded in 2008 at the Stay Gold studio in Brooklyn, New York.[2] Musically, the album has been described as indie rock,[3] art rock,[4] funk,[5] soul,[5] and post-punk.[5] Kyp Malone said that the album's title came from "a note that Dave [Sitek] wrote in the studio that said,

"Dear Science, please start solving problems and curing diseases or shut the fuck up."[6]

Despite the marketed release date of September 22–23, the album was available for download on the U.S. iTunes Store on September 16, 2008. The vinyl LP also comes with a free MP3 download coupon. Dear Science received near unanimous acclaim from critics and charted worldwide. In promotion of the album, TV on the Radio was interviewed on the February 9, 2009 episode of The Colbert Report, "Dancing Choose" was performed to end the show. The rock band Phish began covering "Golden Age" in 2009.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	88/100[8]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
The A.V. Club	A−[10]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[11]
The Guardian	[12]
Los Angeles Times	[13]
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)	A[14]
NME	8/10[15]
Pitchfork	9.2/10[16]
Rolling Stone	[17]
Spin	[18]

Dear Science received rave reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 88, which indicates "universal acclaim", based on 40 reviews. It was named the best album of 2008 by Rolling Stone,[19] The Guardian,[20] Spin,[21] MTV,[22] Entertainment Weekly,[23] the Pitchfork's readers poll,[24] and the Village Voice.[25]

Pitchfork placed Dear Science at number 140 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s,[26] and 6th on their "50 Best Albums of 2008" list.[27] Rolling Stone named it the 48th best album of the decade.[28] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[29]

Remix EP

In early 2009, a remix EP was announced for release on February 17, although it was delayed until April 14. Read Silence was released exclusively through iTunes and featured remixes of "Shout Me Out", "Red Dress", and "Stork & Owl" by Gang Gang Dance, Jneiro Jarel, and Glitch Mob.[30]

Track listing

Dear Science

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Halfway Home"	Adebimpe	5:31
2.	"Crying"	Malone, Bunton	4:10
3.	"Dancing Choose"	Adebimpe, Sitek	2:56
4.	"Stork & Owl"	Malone	4:01
5.	"Golden Age"	Malone, Sitek	4:11
6.	"Family Tree"	Adebimpe	5:33
7.	"Red Dress"	Malone, Sitek	4:25
8.	"Love Dog"	Adebimpe	5:36
9.	"Shout Me Out"	Adebimpe	4:15
10.	"DLZ"	Adebimpe	3:48
11.	"Lover's Day"	Malone	5:54

Bonus tracks

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Make Love All Night Long"	Malone	3:30
2.	"Heroic Dose"		7:19
3.	"Dancing Choose (Prefuse 73 Remix)"		3:47
4.	"Crying (Telepathe Remix)"		4:30
5.	"Dogs Of Light"		7:05

Personnel

Personnel adapted from album liner notes.[2]

Band Tunde Adebimpe – vocals Kyp Malone – vocals, guitars, bass, synths, string arrangements David Andrew Sitek – programming, guitars, samples, bass, synths, horn arrangements Gerard A Smith – bass, organ, synths, samples, rhodes Jaleel Bunton – drums, guitars, rhodes, organ, synth, bass, programming, string arrangements Production David Andrew Sitek – production; mixing Dan Huron – engineering Chris Coady – additional engineering Chris Moore – additional engineering Matty Green – mixing Mark Stent – additional mixing Steve Fallone – mastering Design Roe Etheridge – photography

Additional musicians Katrina Ford – vocals, backing vocals Eleanore Everdell – vocals David Bergander – drums Yoshi Takamasa – shaker, claves, congas, bells, percussion Stuart D. Bogie – sax, horn arrangements, tenor sax Colin Stetson – sax, baritone sax Matana Roberts – alto sax, clarinet Leah Paul – horns Eric Biondo – trumpet Aaron Johnson – trombone Martin Perna – saxophones, flutes Claudia Chopek – violin, string arrangements Janis Shen – violin, string arrangements Perry Serpa – additional string arrangements Lara Hicks – viola Eleanor Norton – cello

Chart positions

Chart (2008)	Peak position
Billboard 200 (U.S.)	12
Billboard Top Rock Albums (U.S.)	4
Canadian Albums Chart	26
UK Albums Chart	33
Australian Albums Chart	26

As of 2012, sales in the United States have exceeded 203,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[31] In 2009. It was awarded a gold certification from the Independent Music Companies Association which indicated sales of at least 100,000 copies throughout Europe.[32]

References

1. Archived July 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
2. Dear Science (CD liner notes). TV on the Radio. Interscope Records. 2008. B0011882-02.CS1 maint: others (link)
3. Kates, Kristi (September 8, 2018). "TV on the Radio reboots old album". Northern Express. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
4. Weingarten, Christopher R. (September 23, 2008). "The Audacity of TV on the Radio". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
5. Anderman, Joan (September 23, 2008). "On 'Dear Science,' a human touch". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
6. Archived 2009-08-18 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 5 January 2018
7. [ phish.net: "Golden Age" Every Time Played] Retrieved on August 11, 2011.
8. "Reviews for Dear Science, by TV on the Radio". Metacritic. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
9. Phares, Heather. "Dear Science – TV on the Radio". AllMusic. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
10. Martins, Chris (September 22, 2008). "TV On The Radio: Dear Science". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
11. Greenblatt, Leah (September 17, 2008). "Dear Science". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
12. Simpson, Dave (September 19, 2008). "Rock review: TV On the Radio, Dear Science". The Guardian. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
13. Powers, Ann (September 23, 2008). "New territory for TVOTR". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
14. Christgau, Robert (November 2008). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
15. Pattison, Louis (September 17, 2008). "TV On The Radio: Dear Science". NME. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
16. Dahlen, Chris (September 22, 2008). "TV on the Radio: Dear Science". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
17. Hermes, Will (October 2, 2008). "Dear Science". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
18. Wood, Mikael (October 2008). "Laboratory of Sound". Spin. 24 (10): 101. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
20. Jonze, Tim (December 12, 2008). "No 1: TV On the Radio – Dear Science". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
21. 12.11.08 8:32 am. "The 20 Best Albums of 2008 | 20) GNARLS BARKLEY, THE ODD COUPLE". SPIN.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-13. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
22. "The Best Albums Of 2008, In Bigger Than The Sound – Music, Celebrity, Artist News". MTV. 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
23. "10 Best CDs of 2008: Leah Greenblatt's Picks | Music". EW.com. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
24. "Pitchfork: Articles: 2008 Pitchfork Readers Poll". Pitchfork. 2008-12-12. Archived from the original on 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
25. "New York Pazz and Jop". Villagevoice.com. 2009-01-21. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
26. Pitchfork staff (September 28, 2009). "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200-151". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
27. "Staff Lists: The 50 Best Albums of 2008". Pitchfork. 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
28. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-best-albums-of-the-2000s-20110718/tv-on-the-radio-dear-science-19691231
29. Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (2014). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-2074-6.
30. "TV on the Radio to Release Remix EP". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
31. https://www.villagevoice.com/2012/01/18/pazz-jops-album-results-get-soundscanned/
32. http://www.impalamusic.org/arc_static/docum/04-press/2009/PR%20-%2020091006.htm

External links

• Dear Science at Metacritic