Return to Cookie Mountain – T.V. on the Radio

        Today I’m reviewing T.V. on the Radio’s Return to Cookie Mountain.  This is a fairly recent work (2006), especially by my standards.  I decided to listen to their sophomore album not only because of its positive reviews, but because of my tendency to not listen to current music.  In my effort to expand my listening horizon, here is what I discovered…


        Track one stars out with an electric drum machine.  From there, the sounds become both unique and unexpected.  Indeed it is difficult, at least at this point, to classify the band’s sound.  The second track, Hours, continues their propensity for experimentation with different sounds.  I have a hard time believing that this band is very radio friendly, which is probably why they haven’t attracted more of a public buzz.  Next is a song called Province.  Like the two tracks before it, the sound of this track is distinctly different.  I am intrigued by the variety that I have heard so far, but realize that this album will take me many listens before I can truly appreciate it (assuming that there is something there to be appreciated).  Track four is Playhouses.  This is my least favorite so far, primarily because of its repetitive nature.  Also, it seems to have a sound that is quite unsettling by nature.  Following that is a song titled Wolf Like Me.  This is most likely one of the album’s singles as it is one of the more accessible tracks.  While the song itself is just okay, I do like the transition that leads into it from the previous track.  Track six is called A Method.  The song starts off with a creepy whistle and builds from there.  The overall sound of this track was not as ‘loud’ as the others so far on the album.  In fact, throughout most of the piece, the texture consists of nothing but layered, polyphonic vocals and percussion.  Of course, given my background, this is one of my favorite tracks!  


        Song number seven sees the band returning to a more raucous sound.  The only drawback to this style (not just with this band, but in general) is that it makes the lyrics almost intelligible.  This can be frustrating to someone like me who is almost as interested in the words as the music.  Song eight, Dirtywhirl, has the band once again using layered vocals.  This is an excellent technique and I’m grateful for them using it as it is employed far to seldom in modern rock music.  Track nine, Blues from Down Here, provides a prime example of what I consider to be one of this bands chief drawbacks.  While the music itself is good, the vocals in the foreground (at least for me personally) leave much to be desired.  As a result, it becomes difficult to truly appreciate this band as listening to them can be a challenge.  I realize that I write this when two of my favorite bands are fronted by vocalists that are pleasing to only a specific audience.  I feel that the primary difference however, is that the bands make up for the lack of their vocal “perfection” with music and lyrics that are not only authentic and genuine, but carry emotional weight as well.  Next on the album is Tonight.  This rhythm driven track is by far, the longest song up to this point, on the album.  I thoroughly enjoy this one from the wind chime intro through the build up of the multilayered climax.  The final song on the album is titled Wash the Day Away.  This is perhaps the hardest sounding song on the album complete with heavy percussion and distorted guitars.  Again I wish that I could appreciate the vocals better.  Still what the band lacks in vocal talent, they nearly make up for in the rest of their sound.  At one point the piece almost sounds like purely orchestrated chaos.  An oxymoron to be sure, but really the only way to describe it.  As the piece nears the end, the guitars and percussion continue a especially slow fade out almost as if they are struggling to hang on.  Finally, the track completely dwindles away leaving the listener to contemplate what, exactly, they have just heard.


        Is this album genius?  Complete crap?  I don’t entirely know to be honest.  It’s hard to tell exactly with an album like this one.  This ambiguity is one of the most intriguing things about it.  The greatest albums are never fully appreciated with in a week of the first listen.  That doesn’t mean that every album that isn’t immediately catchy is pure genius either.  With Return to Cookie Mountain, T.V. on the Radio have, if nothing else, provided the listener with something to think about.  The tracks vary in their style and the band has a unique sound, both of which are positive things.  I don’t yet know if I will love this album one day or if I will rant at how highly overrated the critics seem to find it.  And that is precisely what makes it, at the very least, a decent album.