Don’t let the name fool you. “Return to Cookie Mountain” is surprisingly innovative. Experimenting with different combinations of rock, avant-garde pop and dance-electronic with gospel undertones, Brooklyn-based rockers TV on the Radio know their stuff.
Hailing from a set of diverse backgrounds, band members range in views and style, together creating an overall vibe that’ll make most listeners go “hmm.”
This sophomore release combines the colorful vocal styles of David Bowie with the layered texture of experimental outfits like Radiohead. In fact, Bowie is a good friend and fan of these guys, so much so that he even sings back-up vocals on “Province.”
Removing the rigidity of the genre altogether with thick layers of harmony and rhythm, “Return to Cookie Mountain” is the light at the end of the tunnel of homogenous American pop. Founding member David Andrew Sitek boasts a lengthy list of bands he’s worked with, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars and Celebration. It’s no wonder that this album is fresh and clean with the touches of a true professional.
The airy, harmonious and almost chanting vocals frost the cake of complex rhythms, creating a unique, diverse sound. A combination of both synthetic and bona fide drum beats set the standard for a style that is constantly evolving into something new.
It’s not exactly easy listening, but the beat of clapping hands is certainly an uplifting ornamentation, adding an element of soulful comfort that keeps your feet on the ground when things get too wild. From one moment to the next, this album is filled with alternating gears and switching directions. Perhaps it’s a little too busy at times but nevertheless captivating and thought provoking.
If experimental noise projects aren’t your cup of tea, TV on the Radio is a group worth checking out for their message alone. Even if you can’t stomach spastic rhythms and ever changing time signatures, you might still be interested in what the group has to say. Of course it’s a lot easier for them to reach broader audiences now that they’re under the wing of Interscope Records.
With heightened exposure (and featuring David Bowie on their album doesn’t hurt), they’re not wasting any time. In response to Hurricane Katrina, they released on their Web site an anti-Bush anthem titled “Dry Drunk Emperor.” I’m sure you get the point.
“Return to Cookie Mountain” musically mirrors the chaotic essence of the modern world, which is maybe what feels so right about it after just a few rotations. I laughed, I pondered, I stroked my chin pensively and in the end I found myself nodding my head and tapping my feet.
Apparently the familiarity of disorder we’ve all grown to know has been created, edited, cut and laid out for us on an 11-track disc.
Jessica Dore can be reached at [email protected].
