I had a cluster of strange experiences recently. I was in LA-- always strange-- doing stuff on IRON MAN II-- cue "Once in a Lifetime"-- when I got into the elevator in my hotel-- there was a fireplace in the room!-- with TV on the Radio-- well, two of 'em, then I had breakfast across from the drummer the next morning-- while listening to their new record-- it fell off a truck-- at the exactly same time on my iphone. Popped my earbuds out at the elevator, and Kyp Malone gets out; I think, was that the TV on the Radio guy?; the elevator stops, and as I get out, Tunde Adebimpe gets in. We do the hey-guy nod and that was that.

I didn't say anything. We were in LA. I didn't want to be That Guy.

And, too, I had a record that fell of a truck. Anyway.

I've been listening to DEAR SCIENCE for about three weeks straight now and, man, if this isn't the record of the year, I don't know what is. CHINESE DEMOCRACY better blow the damn doors off the place, I guess.

It took me about a week to get all the way through it. Because I kept stopping, going back, starting over. It's maybe the most complexly rich funk jam imaginable. It sounds like a houseparty at the end of the world.

My pal-- and yours-- "Bryan Lee" Mal "O'" Malley once described KID A as sounding like someone had taught a computer how to be Radiohead, then smashed the computer up and tried to put it back together again; DEAR SCIENCE sounds like TV on the Radio trying their good god damndest to be Prince, but TVOTR was too smashed-up to begin with. It's a remarkable, rewarding album and the first thing to stick with me and resonate in months. It's sweeping, amazing, and goddamn, I wished I would've told them when I had the chance.

TV On The Radio's DEAR SCIENCE is available at Amazon in beautiful DRM-free MP3s for $9.49.