Title: Return To Cookie MountainArtist: TV On The Radio
Year: 2006
Label: Interscope
From the beginning, TV On The Radio stood out from other contemporary bands. Amidst the overwhelmingly Caucasian world of indie rock, the presence of two black men within TVotR's core trio gave them a distinctive identity. Racial politics aside, however, it was their music that first brought them acclaim. Best heard on 2003's Young Liars EP, early TVotR combined soulful, R&B-flavored crooning with the nervous, noisy energy of post-punk. This fascinating blend of styles led to a storm of hype surrounding the band, which their 2004 debut, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, never truly lived up to. That early promise had simmered down to occasional nuggets of thrilling rock, surrounded by endless, shapeless jamming. Two years later, however, after recruiting a full-time rhythm section, the band released Return To Cookie Mountain and finally gave the world the masterpiece that we had been promised.
Make no mistake about it: Return To Cookie Mountain is big. The musical arrangements are lush and nuanced, full of rolling percussion, cascading guitar arpeggios and the occasional wall of static-y noise. The lyrics also aim for the stars, as singers Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone tackle the world's biggest issues: love, war, power, corruption and redemption. Opening with "I Was A Lover," which alludes to a past "before this war" and closing with the swirl of "Wash The Day," full of references to "greenhouses," "landfills" and the "dying woods of Brazil," Cookie Mountain is framed by world conflict. Hailing from Brooklyn, it's tempting (and certainly justifiable) to read a distinctive, post-9/11 flavor into TVotR's lyrics and music.
Yet between those epic bookends lies an album full of love songs. Mind you, love within the context of Cookie Mountain is a dangerous, violent thing. The album's standout track and lead single, "Wolf Like Me," compares attraction to a supernatural, werewolf-esque transformation, begging a potential lover to "lay hands on me." This religious phrasing is echoed in other songs throughout the album, especially "Blues From Down Here," where the song's narrator pleads to a higher force in the face of his struggles, only to hear the response "just stay on your knees." Yet, even at their most grandiose, the songs on Cookie Mountain keep things relatable and personal. The album seems to place a premium on love in the face of a hard world. As the chorus of "Province" states, "love is the province of the brave."
Powerfully delivered by Malone's soaring falsetto or Adebimpe's gospel-tinged howl, these sweeping themes are given all the emotional heft the require. Backed by guitarist/producer Dave Sitek's grinding guitar, the music on Cookie Mountain is strong and visceral, a far cry from the gentle acoustic guitars and crisp snare hits usually associated with indie rock. Few groups can claim to draw equally upon Marvin Gaye and Joy Division, yet TV On The Radio combined them elegantly on this album. Bringing both grandeur and some occasionally overt sexuality into a genre often devoid of both, Return To Cookie Mountain is an unconventional, but undeniable important milestone in the history of 2000s alternative rock.
Next up on The New Classics: Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Outkast
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