Radio 4

Enemies Like This

[3/5] There’s a lot of energy on Radio 4’s fourth album, and it’s the kind of energy that comes from experiencing punk rock, disco, and the chaos and vigor of big-city life–no surprise, since Radio 4 are vets of the now-too-cool-for-school Brooklyn art-rock scene. Enemies Like This is also a diverse album: “Grass Is Greener” simultaneously calls to mind early R.E.M. and Echo And The Bunnymen; “Ascension Street” is a sketchy Sandinista!-era Clash knockoff; and “This Is Not A Test” has the percussion-and-bass groove of a suck-free Rusted Root produced by DFA mainman James Murphy. What none of these songs has, though, is a hook that sticks with you. It’s an unfortunate by-product of diversification that, from a listener’s standpoint, leads to lots of head-nodding, but not much recollection of why you’re doing it.
(ASTRALWERKS) Jeff Miller