Optimistic On Overload

TV on the Radio “Caffeinated Consciousness”

There’s a Peter Gabriel thing going on here, right? Like someone trying to turn “Sledgehammer” into punk rock. It works for TV on the Radio, mainly because Tunde Adebimpe’s voice has this bouncy, colorful quality that suits the cartoonish exaggeration in the music. “Caffeinated Consciousness” is one of those sneaky songs in which the verses are bolder and catchier than the chorus, which recedes into a smoother, funkier, calmer zone. The “caffeinated” bits are what get you, it’s like being zapped with animated lightning. It’s not surprising that the lyrics are so positive and focused on constructive behavior — this feels so much like the manic buzz of inspiration that comes once in a while, and you basically have to go with it or suffer for ignoring the call to action.

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