Radio 4 / Enemies Like This (Astralwerks)

Brooklyn, NY-based quintet’s fourth full-length rebounds from their previous misstep, capturing the fire of their concerts and the urgency of their politics.
Critics stuffed these dudes through the shredder when Stealing of a Nation dropped in 2004, but they’ve clearly recovered. True, the band definitely has its “sound”—dub-tinged, party-starting dance-rock reminiscent of The Clash—but Enemies incorporates a wider field of influences and plays up their strengths much in the same way the DFA-produced Gotham! did. The songwriting, riffs and choruses are all stronger, and the best tracks (like “This Is Not a Test”) show off P.J. O’Connor’s percussive prowess, a longtime selling point of the Radio 4 live show. Christian W. Smith
File under: !!!, LCD Soundsystem, Gang of Four