Return To Cookie Mountain (studio album) by TV On The Radio

There is some good stuff on here but it does take a bit of time to properly get into and there is quite a long period at the close of the album which is pretty poor. In my opinion it doesn't reach up to the same standard as Dear Science and in places it is actually quite a slog to get through. Some songs are needlessly drawn out and they feel like they are just filling out the run time. Also, it can be quite slow and repetitive with them showing not as much flare as we are used to. Despite this, there is lots to love about the record such as the tense and dark atmosphere they create which is maintained brilliantly throughout. You feel really immersed in the music when you listen and that makes for a great experience. There are also several songs which are fantastic with the best of the bunch being Wolf Like Me. The vocal variations are a genius touch as well and they work consistently well throughout and is one of the things that kept me constantly engaged. Overall, there is stuff to be improved on here but there are also glimpses of greatness which makes this an inconsistent listen on the whole.

Album Rating: 81.82
(900/11)

1. "I Was a Lover" (Kyp Malone, David Andrew Sitek) – 4:21 - 76
2. "Hours" (Tunde Adebimpe) – 3:55 - 86
3. "Province" (Malone, Sitek) – 4:37 - 79
4. "Playhouses" (Malone) – 5:11 - 87
5. "Wolf Like Me" (Adebimpe) – 4:39 - 99
6. "A Method" (Adebimpe) – 4:25 - 73
7. "Let the Devil In" (Malone) – 4:27 - 69
8. "Dirtywhirl" (Adebimpe) – 4:15 - 78
9. "Blues from Down Here" (Malone) – 5:17 - 95
10. "Tonight" (Adebimpe) – 6:53 - 81
11. "Wash the Day" (Malone, Sitek, Adebimpe) – 8:08 - 75

From Brad1770 10/18/2020 02:59

I love a challenging album experience and this one fits the bill perfectly - dense , tense and long asking a commitment from the listener and then rewarding as it gets better and better the more one listens to it

Could’ve tell you if this album is better nor worse than ‘Dear Science’ but I can tell you this album is bloody awesome and sits on the cusp of my All-time top 100 albums

Good music. But not as memorable as Dear Science. Maybe I need to give it another listen.

From zags7000 06/12/2015 07:14

This album just sucks you in. I was blown away listening to this after Dear Science and can't honestly tell you which one I like better (although I usually lean Dear Science). This is still excellence at the highest power.

From babyBlueSedan 02/13/2014 18:39

Very few albums covers fit their album as good as this one. That bird's nest is what this album sounds like: a tangled, gnarled mess of sounds that somehow fits perfectly together. The sound is trying very hard to drive you away - every bass not on I Was a Lover pushes you further out of the rhythm, but if you stick around the results are great. Wolf Like Me is obviously the highlight, but the rest of the songs flesh out a great concept.

I like it

wolf like me is superb. but the rest was't that exciting for me though the whole record has a unique atmosphere. i prefer dear science.

I cant get over this album, it is definitely my favorite record of theirs. I end up listening to this way more often they I do Dear Science. There is just some kind of feeling this album has that I can not get over.
Wolf Like Me got me hooked but Province and Tonight kept me

From paladisiac 07/16/2012 15:24

Another good album from tvotr bringing their best track ever, "wolf like me".