Return To Cookie Mountain

TV On The Radio are releasing their sophomore album on Tuesday. Return To Cookie Mountain is the long awaited follow up to their 2004 debut Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, an album that captured my attention with it's uniqueness. They write slowly evolving songs that explode into anthemic choruses. It is art rock, sometimes prog, sometimes electronica. It is quiet-loud-quiet, sometimes dirge-y, other times angelic. It reminds me of Peter Gabriel and Massive Attack. They have a weird, timeless quality to what they do, and even though they might sound reminiscent of someone else they are wholly original.

The new album is fantastic. It is a tighter, leaner sounding record. It is a record about the troubled times we live in - war and peace and justice. It's got David Bowie on backing vocals on Province, that is how good it is. Those of us in the US who were patient and didn't buy the import are being rewarded with 4 extra tracks. All I can say is that I am really enjoying this record, and have been playing it almost every day - it gets better with each listen too. Thge album opens with I Was A Lover, and it is a perfect starting point if you haven't heard them yet. It is their blend of electronics and rock guitars, coupled with those ever unique vocals and the woozy melody. Highly recommended.

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The TV On The Radio is only one of many new records of note coming out on Tuesday, September 12th. It is literally the most overwhelming list of new releases all coming out in one day that I can recall. Here goes my shopping list...

Brazilian Girls - Talk To La Bomb
Ima Robot - Monument To The Masses
Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You...
Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio
Bettie Serveert - Bare Stripped Naked
Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
Los Lobos - The Town And The City
Mouse On Mars - Vacharz
REM - The Best of The IRS Years
Soulwax - Nite Versions
The Rapture - Pieces Of The People We Love
Justin Timberlake - Futuresex/Lovesounds

Then there is a Raconteurs EP, ELO reissues, Cerrone reissues and a whole bunch more I don't care so much about. Quite overwhelming to finance that list...