Reunions of this sort (first album in 28 years!) often boil down to unconvincing attempts to reconstruct past glories and relive spent youth. Thankfully, The Radiators (original members Rapid, Chevron and Holidai augmented by Johnny Bonnie on drums and bassist Jesse Booth) avoid this trap, turning in a sparkling, energized collection of 14 fresh tracks exuding more passion and energy than bands half their age. The songs are each written by either Chevron or Holidai, and they handle most of the vocals, leaving original singer Rapid to his mood-altering keyboards.
A lip-curling Iggy snarl lifts the Kinks-ish ‘The Concierge’, and there’s enervating guitar riffing on the exuberant ‘Second Avenue’. Their respectful tribute to ‘Joe Strummer’ also gives a sonic nod to their own earlier disaffected power-punk and is awash with contemporary political references. Delicious Beatle-ish harmonies spice up the cool and chart-friendly ‘Heaven’, a trick delivered with even greater panache on ‘She Says I’m A Loser’. But Holidai’s vocals are often irritatingly low on ‘Words’, while ‘We Are Beautiful’ leans towards the brash, discordant side of the punk-pop canon. Chevron’s ‘The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs’ is a gem though, his Dylanesque lyrics about life, death and one man’s place in the universe even more chilling when delivered in his no-frills vocal style.
The Radiators were the first true Irish punk band, and with most current rock acts unwilling to confront the broad political realities of today, they may well turn out to be our last. Individually and collectively they have the confidence and the wit to keep all their feet on planet rock while keeping tongues in cheeks as required. The boys are back in town; resistance is futile indeed.