ALBUM REVIEW: Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz
The TV on the Radio frontman finds new ways to stay fresh.
How does one release their debut album at 50 years old and have it stand out after making iconic music with their main band? By charting the very path that made that band stand apart. Tunde Adebimpe’s first solo record is unbothered by expectations fans may have had and is better for it. The heavy electronica influence allows Thee Black Boltz to shine often in weird and wonderful ways. Why try to match the heights of TV on the Radio when you can to do your own damn thing?
For as great of an instrumental that TV on the Radio has ripped before (and there’s plenty to choose from), Adebimpe’s greatest strength has been his voice. He’s expressive in all the right ways; few voices from the mid-2000’s indie rock boom are as singular as his. Thee Black Boltz does well to take advantage of that, crafting interesting beats that always put Adebimpe center stage. The driving “Ate The Moon” lets the singer show his range over crunchy synth-funk Trent Reznor would approve of. Similarly, “Magnetic” powers itself forward with punchy synths that never overwhelm the vocalist. These electronic inclinations are what makes this album stand apart from TV on the Radio’s main work; it takes influences we’ve heard before and expands them into full, engaging tracks.
At times Adebimpe reverts back to his TV on the Radio tendencies; “Pinstack” comes closest to something that would match the band’s best. Its scuzzy guitars and percussion tend to fall out completely to let his voice shine by itself. This callback is better done on “Blue”, a fine mixture of sinister synthesizer work and haunting vocals that gives life (or death?) to a town you shouldn’t get caught in. Some of the album’s simplest beats are its most effective: “The Most” is as uncomplex as any song here, which allows Tunde free reign to swap singing styles in and out at will. The simplicity gets even better on “Somebody New”; who knew they needed to hear Adebimpe pull off a Depeche Mode-type hit like this? Not me, but now I just can’t get enough.
If he’s unconcerned with expectations, Adebimpe allows his lyrics to express his concern with the general state of things. Thee Black Boltz is well written as one would expect, but its beats are really what sets it apart. When its not falling to banal indie pitfalls (“ILY” and “God Knows” are the worst offenders), it offers plenty of compelling tracks fans of TV on the Radio can get down to. A song like “Drop” may end up as some strange anthem for these trying times; like some beatboxing desperado’s theme song as they traverse this increasingly bizarre world we inhabit.
Verdict: 7.8/10
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