Return To Cookie Mountain
by TV on the Radio
User Score
8.1

Universal acclaim- based on 247 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 198 out of 247
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 247
  3. Negative: 21 out of 247

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  1. NabeelB
    Feb 22, 2007
    10
    If you don't like this album you have bad taste in music.
  2. MichaelK
    Mar 14, 2007
    9
    Best album of 2006. By a mile.
  3. ReubenF
    Dec 18, 2006
    10
    Their sound is cutting edge: an innovative mix of free jazz, a cappella/doo-wop, trip-hop and electro; avant-garde without being obscure or unnecessarily difficult to listen to; and a worthy winner for the meta-critic Best of 2006.
  4. AntonioR
    Dec 22, 2006
    9
    great album
  5. DiabloP
    Dec 25, 2006
    8
    This album is very good - it is almost perfect. It is one of those albums you should listen to before you buy it. I loved it ,but it might not be everyone's cup of tea. I provides a different sound than the mainstream rock on the radio. That in itself might be a reason to purchase it.
  6. NastyR
    Dec 27, 2006
    10
    The most original rock album since god knows when. People who give it a low rating just don't have ears. It's not so difficult, just listen closer and you hear a great melodies. Apocalyptic art-rock in prime.
  7. jfred7
    Apr 28, 2011
    10
    Heady, soulful, gritty, urgent, powerful, and beautiful. This is TV On The Radio's best album to date, and one of the best albums of the aughts. It takes some time to sink in, but it keeps growing with every listen, and it's one of the most rewarding, transportive albums I've heard in recent years. The first half is stunning, and the second half also fantastic, albeit less immediate.Heady, soulful, gritty, urgent, powerful, and beautiful. This is TV On The Radio's best album to date, and one of the best albums of the aughts. It takes some time to sink in, but it keeps growing with every listen, and it's one of the most rewarding, transportive albums I've heard in recent years. The first half is stunning, and the second half also fantastic, albeit less immediate. From the industrial haze of "I Was a Lover" to the fantastic closing duo of "Tonight" and "Wash the Day Away," this album is a unique, glorious listen. It deserves to grow into a classic.… Expand
  8. Vampire25
    Mar 27, 2011
    9
    I really had to listen to this album to fully appreciate it but wow, this is a fantastic album. The opener "I Was A Lover" is fantastic. The moment that song ends, you know instantly what you're getting into. TV On The Radio is one of the most original bands I've ever had the pleasure to listen too and there skill as musicians and creativity really shows in this album. It's hard to swallowI really had to listen to this album to fully appreciate it but wow, this is a fantastic album. The opener "I Was A Lover" is fantastic. The moment that song ends, you know instantly what you're getting into. TV On The Radio is one of the most original bands I've ever had the pleasure to listen too and there skill as musicians and creativity really shows in this album. It's hard to swallow this album the first few times but you'll get really into it once you really start to pay attention to it. Every track tells a story and the lyrics are impeccable. All In All, TV On The Radio has crafted a unique blast of soul, psychedelic, jazz fusion, and a little bit of punk rock into Return To Cookie Mountain and it is definitely an adventure you have to listen too. A-… Expand
  9. lovemusic
    May 15, 2011
    8
    it was okay and good at the same time...................................................................................... they had some outstanding songs on here. Dear Science was an upgrade.
  10. keep_yr_bias
    Apr 21, 2012
    10
    This is a prime example of why critics should be trusted more than users when it comes to music. Return to Cookie Mountain is one of my favorite albums of the past decade, hands down. Dear Science was excellent, but this will always be my favorite TV on the Radio album. The grainy static of this album creates the perfect atmosphere. The guitar work on this album is also incredible.This is a prime example of why critics should be trusted more than users when it comes to music. Return to Cookie Mountain is one of my favorite albums of the past decade, hands down. Dear Science was excellent, but this will always be my favorite TV on the Radio album. The grainy static of this album creates the perfect atmosphere. The guitar work on this album is also incredible. Some tracks are much slower than others, but when TVOTR decide to pick the pace up they really can shred their guitars like few bands can. All of this would mean nothing if it weren't for the emotional punch this album carries. If I had to pick one song that embodies the theme of this album it would be, "Province". On the chorus Kyp Malone bellows out that, "Love is the province of the brace", and that is certainly what this album is trying to get across. Love is pain, and TVOTR seem to understand that better than just about anybody else. To them though, love is worth the risk, and that only the brave seek it out. It's a powerful message that only grows the more you listen to this album. The opening track "I Was A Lover" instantly sucked me into the album. It's a fairly unorthodox rythm with stuttering drums, horns, and plenty of fuzzy guitars. Malone is also the vocalist on this song. Towards the end of the song he sings, "running on empty, bourbon, and god". As great as they are as a band, they may be even better songwriters, which is a bold statement I feel comfortable making. Malone proves on this album that he is an excellent vocalist. He shares roughly half of the vocal duties with Tunde Adebimpe, and they are a perfect balance. Adebimpe brings a powerful voice, and shows this in full force on "Wolf Like Me" which is one of the best songs TVOTR has in their entire catalog. The 2nd half of this song is an onslaught of guitars. "Playhouses" is another song where TVOTR flex their muscle and flat out jam. All of these songs I have mentioned are on the first half of the album, but amazingly the 2nd half of the album is every bit as strong as the 1st half. "Let the Devil In" and "Dirtywhirl" are both excellent tracks, as is "A Method". The two closing tracks "Tonight" and "Wash the Day Away" are the two most mellow songs on the album, particularly "Tonight" which is one of the more hypnotic songs I've ever heard. It's sad but beautiful at the same time. There really isn't any complaint I can make about this album. It's as close to flawless as you can get. Honestly, the only thing I didn't like were the bonus tracks. Not because they were bad, but because they were completely unneccesary. None of the 3 bonus tracks on the U.S. release are as good as ANY of the 11 songs on the album. Still, in rating this album I'm completely ignoring those tracks. After all, they are "bonus" tracks. Return to Cookie Mountain has held up very well, and it's been nearly 6 years since it's release. This album is the definition of a classic.… Expand
  11. pugowner
    Apr 24, 2018
    10
    Post-rock, art rock, indie rock, whatever you wanna call it, this is one of the best of its kind
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Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best Album of 2006
15
#15 Most Discussed Album of 2006
59
#59 Most Shared Album of 2006

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. Blender
    80
    On their lush major-label debut, the haunting Peter Gabriel-esque yawlps of singer Tunde Adebimpbe are punctuated by singer-guitarist Kyp Malone, whose raspy falsetto provides a sense of deadpan panic. [Jul 2006, p.103]
  2. Observer Music Monthly
    80
    A warmer, more linear record than their debut... Spellbinding, frustrating, wonderful.
    Read full review
  3. Spin
    80
    Sitek's layered sonics have grown more immense... and almost none of these songs charts a predictable course. [Jun 2006, p.81]
See all critic reviews »