Radio 4 - Enemies Like This Album Review

Radio 4
Enemies Like This
Album Review

Radio 4's debut, Gotham!, was rightly held up to be something special, but the sophomore slump definitely hit them on the follow-up, Stealing of a Nation. Here, they reprise the Joy Division-does-Clash style, more successfully than they managed the second time around. If they had been able to sustain the energy of the excellent opening title track, this would have been one of the discs of the year. But it's not to be. The band slip into pastiches of either Joy Division or The Clash - to be fair, they're pretty good imitators, but the rawness they manage on track 1, and which their idols managed, eludes them. The reggae they attempt actually comes across more Specials than Clash. The best recommendation is to download the (really quite excellent) title track, and be very very cautious if that suggests you should explore more. Make sure you buy London Calling first.

Rating 6/10

Mike Rea