Thee Black Boltz
Tunde Adebimpe’s solo debut faced a long, hard road to fruition. In the wake of TV on the Radio going on hiatus in 2019, Adebimpe’s efforts were stalled by the pandemic, label disinterest, and, most tragically, the death of his sister Jumoke. By happenstance, *Thee Black Boltz* arrives in the midst of TV on the Radio’s reunion campaign, and if lead single “Magnetic” had been released under the TVOTR banner, no one would bat an eye: The song boasts a minimalist electro-punk sound that harkens back to the band’s early-2000s days in the Brooklyn DIY scene, and a buzzing energy that will satisfy anyone who regularly dials up the band’s raging performance of “Wolf Like Me” on Letterman when they need an instant adrenaline boost. But *Thee Black Boltz* is, naturally, a much more personal statement than TVOTR’s definitive life-during-wartime addresses. It’s distinguished not just by its open displays of grief (see: “ILY,” aka “I Love You,” a tender acoustic elegy for Jumoke), but in its defiant embrace of joy: “Somebody New” channels the pure discotheque ecstasy of mid-’80s New Order, while the stuttering synth-pop of “The Most” wraps its heartwarming sentiments in twinkling psychedelic flourishes and a mid-song flip of Wayne Smith’s dancehall classic “Under Me Sleng Teng.”
The TV on the Radio singer sharpens his voice on his debut solo album, using bold synth melodies and driving beats as the backdrop to some of his most nuanced performances yet.
The TV On The Radio frontman delivers a focused, raw collection of songs with Thee Black Boltz.
The first solo album from TV On The Radio co-founder and songwriter Tunde Adebimpe is a triumphant skip between disco and despair
Tunde Adebimpe remains defiantly human on 'Thee Black Boltz,' meditating in the chaos of creativity and untethered by genre.
Tunde Adebimpe is best known as the vocalist for New York 00s indie titans TV on The Radio. He has also forged a successful career as an actor appearing
The TV on the Radio frontman’s sharp pop instincts kick in on a multifaceted synth-punk-funk set born out of deep personal loss
While still discovering his individual identity, TV on the Radio frontman Tunde Adebimpe offers plenty to consider about the human condition along the way.
Thee Black Boltz by Tunde Adebimpe album review by Victoria Borlando for Northern Transmissions, the artist's LP is now out via Sub Pop