Enemies Like This

Fast forwarding two years after the lukewarm Stealing of a Nation won the hearts of very few, one would think history wouldn't repeat itself with the same mistakes when discussing Radio 4. Perhaps an expansion of musical palettes or a change in direction would bring about the evolution of a band that seemed so promising with 2002's Gotham!. And while there are glimpses of this progression on Enemies Like This, they're all too few and far between to merit this album as anything but stagnant. If She Wants Revenge is the carbon copy sound of Joy Division tailor made for the shopping mall, jet-set, teen-angst crowd, then Radio 4 has certainly earned its rightful place of being the best Clash imitators this side of the 2000s. The most obvious offenses (or homages, depending on which side of the fence you're sitting): "Too Much to Ask For" sounds like a hybrid of everything on London Calling and "As Far as the Eye Can See" is "The Magnificent Seven" if DFA were given the opportunity to remix the tune. Indeed, nearly every single thing about this album is a shout-out to the Clash or Gang of Four, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but why not just listen to the originals instead?