TV on the Radio - Dear Science,

[bloop]

No, no that's not my problem.  My problem is that they are all standing out to me in notably different ways, actually.  In other words, I love them all.

[Josh]

I'm totally in sync with bloop when it comes to this album. Each song is so fully-formed, so rich compositionally as well as from a production standpoint, and they all synthesize so many influences and cover so much ground lyrically, that it feels like a parade of outstanding songs.

[bloop]

It slipped to #4.  You have to figure it couldn't survive the onslaught of the iconoclastic indie critics for long (*looks over*  Hey, everyone likes these guys now.  *poo poos it*).  Near the bottom, they are just so wrong.  CMG slips just a bit in my mind, in particular.

The albums on top of it are really good, though I haven't heard Fed.

[murlough23]

No, no that's not my problem.  My problem is that they are all standing out to me in notably different ways, actually.  In other words, I love them all.

Right. What you pointed out as a virtue helps explain my problem.

[bloop]

I don't think I'm going to worry enough to scratch my head over this one, mur. 

I think my case has been made, and made well enough.

[Josh]

It slipped to #4.  You have to figure it couldn't survive the onslaught of the iconoclastic indie critics for long (*looks over*  Hey, everyone likes these guys now.  *poo poos it*).  Near the bottom, they are just so wrong.  CMG slips just a bit in my mind, in particular.

The albums on top of it are really good, though I haven't heard Fed.

Technically, it's #5 now-- with a score of 92, the Bob Dylan set from this week is easily the best-rated thing on MetaCritic's 2008 list, but it hasn't yet been added to their running Top 10. And maybe it won't be, since it's all material recorded well before this year, but then again, Steinski makes the cut...

[bloop]

I would count both of those albums in a different category, so for actual new albums, I guess it's #3 (but not in my book).

[murlough23]

I don't think I'm going to worry enough to scratch my head over this one, mur. 

I think my case has been made, and made well enough.

No need for you to scratch your head. I'm the one with the dilemma here - knowing pretty much everyone is gushing over this thing, realizing that I'm not quite to the level of gushing over it, and not knowing how to explain why.