Return to Cookie Mountain

TV on the Radio's 2006 album, Return to Cookie Mountain has received numerous accolades. In came in second in the Village Voice's annual poll of rock critics (behind Bob Dylan's Modern Times) and came in first in a similar poll for Idolator. Frankly, I had never heard of the group but took a chance. The results are mixed.

As usual with music that excites rock critics, I found it a bit dense. The style is a melange of several types--jazz, African, Caribbean, fusion, you name it. Each song lies on a bed of fuzz and orchestral samples, giving the whole thing an ambient sound that seems like Phil Spector on acid. The lyrics are obtuse.

After three listens, though, I found it growing on me. The first track sets the stage, as "I Was a Lover" starts off with what sounds like backwards music and the lyrics are full of wistful regret. "Province" contains a guest vocal by David Bowie. "Let the Devil In" has some powerful choral vocals.

The absolute gem on this record is a track called "A Method." It is the only song that has a hook of any kind. It begins with some hand claps and a solitary whistle, then builds, ticking like a clock, adding in some falsetto "woops" and a sing-song vocal that contains some catchy non-sequitors, my favorite being, "It's a rough wild world, would you please chaperone."

This is what is usually called "thinking man's rock," which is a curse and a blessing. Yes, it's worlds more sophisticated than most top-40, but sometimes you just want to listen to Herman's Hermits.