TV on the Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain

On its 2006 album, Return To Cookie Mountain, the Brooklyn-based post-punk group TV on the Radio manages that rare feat of becoming more adventurous and accessible at the same time. While this record isn't a major departure from its eclectic predecessor (the lauded Desprate Youth, Bloody thirsty Babes), it is notably more cohesive, and even boasts a guest appearance by David Bowie, who slinks into backing vocals on the R&B-tinged "Province." By combining unpolished loops and stuttering beats with shoegazing guitar textures, the ensemble creates an utterly unique sound, particularly when the deep, expressive voice of Tunde Adebimpe and the falsetto singing of Kyp Malone fall into harmony, as on the hypnotic "I Was a Lover." Given that the band's first outing was the self-released, Radiohead-referencing Ok Calculator, it's wholly appropriate that with Return To Cookie Mountain, TV on the Radio has crafted an edgy, soulful counterpart to "Kid A".
(RS)