Originally published in Verbicide issue #6

Hint #2 that something wild is going on in New York City (#1 was The Walkmen). Radio 4 is so edgy, I was afraid to type while listening, if only because I might miss one of the ear lobe-tickling sound effects bouncing between left and right speakers. It’s like they took ’77 punk and made it into dance music. If you ever liked anything by The Make-Up then you will go nuts for this band.

As the album title suggests, this record is all about New York, and rightfully so, because these guys could make the Brooklyn Bridge dance. The vocals complement the music so well that it’s easy to miss the lyrics themselves. Smart and at times politically motivated, they avoid being cliché or trite, and even manage to make you grin. Example from “Calling All Enthusiasts,” track five: “I’m really sorry but we’ve gotta start resisting/It’s no request/we really are insisting on this.”

A lot of bands have been accused of trying too hard to replicate The Clash, but nobody has been able to make the sounds of Combat Rock and Sandinista a reality like Radio 4, and they accomplish the homage without giving away a single drop of unique identity. Thirteen songs loaded with energy, melody, street-smart expression and serious fun, it’s a bargain of an album. I love it, flat out.

(Gern Blandsten Records, PO Box 356, River Edge, NJ 07661)