ALBUM REVIEW: TUNDE ADEBIMPE - THEE BLACK BOLTZ

Unfiltered joy abounds on TV on the Radio frontman's debut solo record

TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe steps out solo with Thee Black Boltz - a debut that trades the band’s cool mystique for something looser, warmer, and — surprisingly — more fun. It’s not a radical departure, but it doesn’t need to be. Across 11 crisp, genre-blurring tracks, Adebimpe offers up sparks of joy, flashes of weirdness, and the kind of propulsive rhythms that made Return to Cookie Mountain or Seeds so memorable.

Tracks like 'Magnetic' and 'Ate the Moon' stand out immediately. The former barrels forward with Happy Idiot-esque energy, while the latter leans into glitchy, off-kilter rhythms and surreal, dream-like lyrics. 'Pinstack' is a glam-stomp banger that could soundtrack a futuristic spy flick — its swagger is irresistible. 'The Most', meanwhile, shimmers with synth-y innocence and throws in an unexpected reggae groove that somehow just works.

'Somebody New' wraps it all up with euphoric, Hi-NRG synths that feel ready-made for an '80s neon-lit dancefloor.

Stepping out solo: Tunde Adebimpe (photo credit: Xaviera Simmons)

There are a few dips. 'ILY', an earnest acoustic ballad, aims for vulnerability but comes off slightly saccharine, breaking the album’s momentum. 'Drop' and 'God Knows' also feel like weak links; by the time they arrive, the album’s playful shifts in style start to blur together into something a bit one-note.

Still, it’s hard not to admire the spirit behind this project. Adebimpe made this album while grieving the loss of his sister and grappling with the chaotic state of the world. That emotional core doesn’t always surface in the lyrics (which are often abstract), but it’s there in the sound: bursts of light in the darkness, grooves that push forward even when everything else is stuck.

Thee Black Boltz may not be a complete reinvention, but it doesn’t need to be. Adebimpe proves he can carry his own ideas from sketch to full song, building something hopeful out of sorrow. TV on the Radio fans will find plenty to love here, even if Dave Sitek’s edge is missed. What’s gained instead is a sense of unfiltered joy — and that’s more than enough.

Rating: 8.3/10

Thee Black Boltz is out on Friday (18 April) via Sub Pop Records