I don’t listen to quite enough music to declare TV On the Radio’s “Return To Cookie Mountain” the best album to come out last year, but it’s certainly my favorite. I can’t vouch for a TV On the Radio live show, but the band seems to embody what I love most about music: the proper coupling of talent and innovation. “Return To Cookie Mountain” is not only a joy to listen to, but like nothing I’ve ever heard before.
The album’s opening track, “If I Was a Lover,” sets the tone for the album. Insane, manic instrumental beats punctuate lyrics without a true chorus, horns blare, electronica blasts, and once they’ve grabbed your attention, the song opens into a piano-led, sweet, softer section. The beautiful voices of the lead singers, Tunde Adebimpe and the throatier Kyp Malone, blend together perfectly and diverge just as gracefully. I was three minutes into this song the first time I listened to this album and I knew what would follow was going to be special.
“Hours” picks up the tempo a little bit. With a heavy snare hook and a truly unique two-part harmony, the song distinguishes itself in a variety of pleasing ways, but somehow stays in touch with the entire feel of the album.
“Province” is softer, introducing the “ooo ooo ooo ooo’s” that characterize much of the album. Like nearly every track on the album, it’s so beautifully layered. Drums, keyboards, horns, vocals, guitar, bass, electronic loops, and noises I don’t understand and can’t begin to describe, blend together in a beautiful, complicated little package. The whole being so much greater than the sum of its parts.
“Playhouses” is dueling vocals layered over a steady snare and cymbal beat with a grinder-like synthesizer noise being sucked through a vacuum in the background. Slight fluctuations in the surrounding instrumentation subtly raise and lower the tension of the song in very pleasing ways.
“Wolf Like Me” is the closest thing this album has to a real single. You may have heard it on MTV, often times played in between shite reality shows. It’s snare/bass beat is foot stomping catchy goodness. The song builds in pace, only to reach a slower, haunting oasis in the center, where it once again abruptly picks up the pace. The seamless transitions between sections of the song(s) continue to astound me listen after listen.
I could go on and on and write a snippet about each track, but instead, I intend I hope to entice you to go out and get this album, and I’m afraid a seemingly endless stream of praise will bore the reader. So I’ll close quickly… it’s late and I don’t have too much energy to write anyway. This album is simply a joy to listen. And it gets better and better with each listen as I untangle layer after layer of sound. It can be enjoyed on so many levels, from the casual listen to the meticulous ears of a phony music snob like myself. Get it. Listen to it. If you don’t agree, give me shit, but I’ll be shocked if you don’t enjoy it.
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