Maximum Balloon is the perfect name for producer/
TV on the Radio member
David Sitek's collaborative side project: it’s bigger, lighter, and more playful-sounding than any of the music he’s made before -- and it also goes pop. Indie music fans know
Sitek's dense, detailed sound, which he’s tailored to work with artists such as
the Yeah Yeah Yeahs,
Liars,
Telepathe,
Scarlett Johansson, and, of course,
TVOTR. However, he shows just how versatile his music can be here by bringing in friends to sing on tracks tailor-made for them. The project was sparked by
Sitek’s listening habits as a Los Angeles transplant getting used to the city’s lengthy commutes; he played lots of
Prince,
Chic,
Cyndi Lauper, and
Nile Rodgers productions, and
Maximum Balloon's best tracks are infused with that kind of funky, smart energy. “Tiger,” which arrived a few months before the album with a memorable video of model Daisy Lowe dancing to it, is stunning, with a low-riding synth bassline that builds into brass and Aku of
Dragons of Zynth's rallying cry to let loose. Though nothing else quite matches it, the album starts off with a bang: “Groove Me,” which features
Theophilus London, evokes
Kool & the Gang's party-time feel in its scratchy riffs and joyous choruses; “Young Love” sets the rich alto of
Celebration's
Katrina Ford atop pristine but rapturous electro-pop with vintage synth toms; and bandmate
Tunde Adebimpe shows once again why he’s
Sitek's most natural collaborator on the sexy but philosophical “Absence of Light.”
Adebimpe's voice sounds right at home, but still exciting, nestled in
Sitek's layers of sound, and vice versa, and this track suggests that
Maximum Balloon's pop leanings may have been gestating since
TVOTR's
Dear Science. Not surprisingly,
Sitek's tracks with
Kyp Malone (the old-school-tinged “Shakedown”) and
Karen O (“Communion”) evoke his past successes with them, even if they’re not quite as remarkable. Compared to its high-energy start,
Maximum Balloon's final tracks fizzle a bit, with
Holly Miranda and
Ambrosia Parsley struggling to make an impression with the sleepy “The Lesson” and “Pink Bricks,” respectively. Meanwhile,
David Byrne’s cameo on “Apartment Wrestling” is charming, but not quite up to the standard of the best tracks here. Overall, though, this is an enjoyable, danceable working holiday from
Sitek, one that shows aspects of his music that bode well for his many other projects. ~ Heather Phares