Maximum Balloon

Basically the same sonic palette as TVOTR themselves, but texturally free of the more abrasive aspects of their sound, whilst also shying away from the weighty subject matter that sees critics treat each TVOTR album like a state-of-the-nation address. Guitars scratch out a classic Chic funk sound and the synths glisten or buzz in the style you would expect of a modern pop record, the whole sound bristling with a sexuality befitting its seductive rhythms.

Maximum Balloon is TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek but, strictly speaking, it is not a Dave Sitek solo project. Sure, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs/Scarlett Johansson producer is pulling all the strings (as he seems to do on many albums he produces), but the debut from this project is less a chance for him to take centerstage as it is an opportunity to color outside the lines required by his day jobs.

With an overriding electro-pop feel to the album, Maximum Balloon is rather like a straight faced version of Gorillaz. There's little in the way of humour to be found in the fat grooves and swelling synths of the album and the vocalists themselves are rarely outside of the comfort zone.