Radiators
The Radiators are in fine form with this self-titled disc of studio originals. Keyboardist and percussionist Ed Volker's lyrics aren't going to set anyone's brain on fire, but the Rads have all the chops you'd expect from a group that's racked up thousands of performances. "Deep in My Voodoo" and "I Don't Speak Love" boast easy, melodic hooks, and they keep on coming through "Falling Through the Bottom Line" (which offers the CD's hottest guitar riffs) and "Crazy Mona." "These Fugitive Dreams" and especially the call-and-response rocker "Untouched By Human Hands" are lesser tracks. What you've got here is a rock-solid ensemble that's a bit derivative but hardly the weaker for it; indeed, one listen to this disc will encourage you to catch the Rads' live act, so one good thing will lead to another.--Jeff Shannon