TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain review

4 out of 5 **** / *****

TV on the Radio are native New Yorkers straight out of Brooklyn who have made their rise to independant stardom with there amazing art rock alongside fellow friends and bands "Yeah Yeah Yeahs" and the originally oriented Beligum band "Liars." On the bands 2nd LP, "Return to Cookie Mountain," the opening track ("I was a Lover") really is a sample for things to come. The track opens with a haunting melody produced through electronic loops and a very fitting horn segment. With lyrics like "I once joined a priest class, plastic, inert in a slowdance with commerce like a lens up a skirt," you know that you are in for a treat. 

Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe along with backup vocalist Kip Malone both undoubtedly have unique and distinct ways of singing.  Kip's unusual highly toned falsetto is not something that you would expect when physically seeing this individual, but nonetheless, it is that of an originator. Tunde also has a certain finesse to his vocal abilities (he often sings in a doo-wop style). The fuzzy guitars, loops, and production on this album are ace and posess that of a trip-hop presence.  "Province" and "Wolf Like Me" prove to be the most dynamic effort off of the album.  Ziggy Stardust himself makes a noteworthy appearance on "Province, and once you hear these voices accompany each other, bliss is certain to follow. 

The way that their voices match and resemble each others is almost in a sense soothing even as unsoothing as this band may be.  "Wolf like me" jumps up and down in tempo, and is clearly the most energetic and upbeat song off of the album. TV on the Radio are one of the most exciting, non-categorizable, and simply fun bands to release an LP so far in 2006. Listen to this record, cd, mp3 however, just be sure to bring 1 thing, an open mind.