Released 20 years ago
Return to Cookie Mountain
TV on the Radio · 2006
72 min · 16 tracks · alternative rock
Eclectic sonic landscapes merge art rock with soulful melodies and raw, emotional intensity throughout the album's diverse tracks.
Top tracks — play these first
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Wolf Like Me — The track's driving rhythm and explosive energy capture the album's essence, blending urgency with introspective lyrics that explore themes of transformation and primal instincts.
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Province — With its haunting melodies and layered harmonies, this song reflects on personal loss with a poignant sense of longing, showcasing the band’s ability to blend emotional depth with sonic experimentation.
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I Was a Lover — Opening the album, this track sets a reflective mood with its intricate instrumentation and lyrical vulnerability, establishing the thematic groundwork for the concepts explored throughout.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends eclectic sounds with strong songwriting, though its pacing dips in the latter half.
What we noticed
- The use of vocal harmonies is prominent, with multiple voices intertwining throughout many tracks, creating a rich sonic texture.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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8/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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8/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- dynamic emotional journeys
- long, immersive listening sessions
- layered, dense sonic textures
- gradual builds and payoffs
Where this album fits
- Career context
- By the time 'Return to Cookie Mountain' was released in July 2006, TV on the Radio was already gaining recognition following their debut album, 'Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes'. This sophomore effort elevated their status significantly, showcasing a more ambitious sound and cementing their place in the alternative rock scene.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Battles· The National· Wolf Parade
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 I Was a Lover 4:21
- 2 Hours 3:55
- 3 Province 4:37
- 4 Playhouses 5:11
- 5 Wolf Like Me 4:39
- 6 A Method 4:25
- 7 Let the Devil In 4:27
- 8 Dirtywhirl 4:15
- 9 Blues From Down Here 5:17
- 10 Tonight 6:53
- 11 Wash the Day 8:07
- 25 [silence] 0:17
- 26 [untitled] 1:43
- 27 Snakes and Martyrs 4:06
- 28 Hours (El‐P remix) 4:26
- 29 Things You Can Do 5:26
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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