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Jan 15, 2025 Web Exclusive By Dom Gourlay

Twenty years is a long time in music, yet in the case of TV on the Radio it’s only enhanced their legacy. The band were already sounding unlike anyone else around at the time, years ahead of their peers back in 2004 when Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes first hit the shops. They’re still something of an anomaly that refuses to be pigeonholed or compartmentalized by sound, style, or genre.

In fact, listening to this remarkable debut two decades on firmly illustrates just how far ahead of their time its creators were. The chemistry between TV on the Radio’s three main architects—Tunde Adebimpe, Kyp Malone, and Dave Sitek—was evident for all to see, even this early on in their careers.

Using vocal melodies as instruments in a way no other band had since probably Cocteau Twins, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes was an exercise in experimentation to create sonic textures that are both subversive yet soothing on a similar level in the pop hemisphere as Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman” or Carly Simon’s “Why.” Throw in the layered instrumentation backed by Sitek’s exemplary production and you have a record that never sounds out of place or dated.

Furthermore, and especially on pieces like “Staring at the Sun” and “Poppy,” there’s a timeless quality that makes these pieces and the rest of the album just as relevant today as it was back in the spring of 2004 when Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes was first hatched.

Aside from the nine songs on the original CD release, and the two bonus tracks—“You Could Be Love” and “Staring at the Sun (Demo)”—that appeared on the vinyl and digital versions respectively, this 20th anniversary edition also features five other compositions. Non-album single “New Health Rock” finds itself remastered from the 2007 version, as does the band’s cover of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Modern Romance,” which is notable for its heavily layered acapella vocal arrangements that sets it apart from the original.

An early demo recording of “Bomb Yourself” entitled “Final Fantasy” provides a brief insight into how Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes came together while the extremely rare “Dry Drunk Emperor”—originally released as a limited-edition free MP3 on the Touch and Go website back in 2005—completes the extras.

It’s been well documented just how important a record Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes was on release. It was a pivotal, groundbreaking LP that paved the way for experimental and popular music to find some common ground and work together. So, this long overdue reissue is a must own for anyone touched by the genius of TV on the Radio. (www.tvontheradio.com)

Author rating: 9/10