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I have heard the whole album, it is very very good...so well produced. She's back!!

This deliciously packaged fourth album from the fantastic TV On The Radio is a real gem. Following on from their 2006 album Return to Cookie Mountain, the album has a distinctly different feel. Where RtCM played with expansive sounds and interesting rhythms, `Dear Science' has a more refined and cleaner sound. Don't worry, their delightful percussion is still there, just less pronounced, making room for a large use of sax and brass, and as such the tracks on Dear Science have a fuller sound when compared to their previous album.

I was already slightly familiar with 'Golden Age' having heard it on the radio a few times, and I'd heard Family Tree once, but these songs are only the tip of the iceberg when you listen to the whole album. It begins with the fantastic 'Halfway Home', a merciless onslaught of foot-tapping beats and beautiful vocals, the highlight being the chorus, where you just can't help but sing out "Is it not me? Am I not folded by your touch?" as high as you can, in a pathetic attempt to match Adebimpe's range. Other highlights on the record include the soothing 'Stork & Owl', 'Love Dog' and of course the beautiful 'Family Tree' with its echoing piano chords, haunting vocals and slow march towards a climatic finish where the percussion comes in and the string section expands. The last three tracks of the album are all fantastic in their own way; 'Shout Me Out' with its transformation from ethereal beginnings to a fast paced finish; 'DLZ' and its gritty sound with the catchy line "This is beginning to feel like the dawn of the luz of forever"(what is a luz?); and of course 'Lover's Day' makes a fantastic finish to the album, with its sensual saxophone and flute arrangement at the end.

A wonderfully styled insert contains the lyrics, presented in a completely original fashion (in my experience at least), and pulls the whole thing together to make this an extremely worthy purchase. Having seen them perform a few years ago after the release of RtCM, I eagerly await their show on the 17th November at the Manchester Academy. Can they pull it off live? Of course they can.

Ryan Adams is a rarity - a genuine tortured artist. He writes with heartfelt angst and sometimes, cynically delivers parodies of his favourite styles. I saw him play at the Academy this week, and compared to any other performance of his that I've seen, he was damned near perfect. Off drugs, booze, etc. he and his band sounded great. Cardinology is his first real rock recording - live, it is ear splitting. On record, it is brief, nice on the ears. Live, it is passionate, driving and convincing. The ballads are the best, of course, but Go Easy, Fix it and even the parody of U2 - Magic are dynamic. I like Crossed Out Name, Natural Ghost and Cobwebs. No five stars, I'm afraid - it has few valleys and no real peaks, just the most consistent record out since his last one. Ryan will never be a star - despite his cleaned up act, greatly improved guitar and singing (its all better) - he clearly still hates himself, and performs like he is ashamed to be in front of a crowd. In 2 hours plus, you could not see his face until the last 10 minutes. Remarkable.

Not a pendulum fan? neither was i really, but i decided to buy the album because i'd never listened to there music properly. depending on the mood, this is why 4 not 5 stars, all the songs in this great album will get you moving some part of your body to. recommended!
Jimborogers

WERE THE DC5 AS GOOD AS THE RECENT ARTICLES I HAVE READ SUGGEST?
WERE THEY THE NEXT BEST THING TO THE BEATLES AT THE TIME?
ER NO!! AS THIS RELEASE PROVES.
LIKE MANY I REMEMBER THE MAIN HITS, BITS AND PIECES, GLAD ALL OVER AND CATCH US IF YOU CAN, AND THEY WERE GREAT POP SONGS. BUT AFTER THAT I REMEMBER VERY LITTLE AND I DID GROW UP IN THE SIXTIES. THIS RELEASE PROVES WHY. IT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF AVERAGE COVER VERSIONS AND SOME MEDIOCRE ROCK AND ROLL COVERS THAT LACK THE PASSION OF THE REAL THING. THE SOUND IS AVERAGE, THE COVER IS TERRIBLE AND THERE IS A C.D. BOOKLET THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO DAVE CLARK, I.E. DAVE DID THIS, DAVE DID THAT, BUT PAYS LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE REST OF THE BAND. VERY LITTLE BAND HISTORY, NO RELEASE DATES AND NO U.K./U.S.A. CHART POSITIONS.
THIS COULD, AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME SHOULD, HAVE BEEN A FAR BETTER PRODUCT.

I'd like to buy it for me as my own birthday gift unfortunately it's available 3 days later. But I like JB music so I'm going to buy it anyway.

Reading the previous two reviews, I was won over and decided to purchase this cd, its starts off well with The Pogues (in my opinion) there are one or two mediocre tunes in the middle of the cd. To be truthful I stopped at track 11 "Xmas in February" which is about Vietnam, it looks like the cd ends on a strong note with Otis Redding's White Christmas & Booker T's Winter Wonderland.