For their final album, Naked City return to their roots; that is, playing every genre under the sun. Where Radio differs from the self-titled record is its structure: the first nine songs are more accessible fare, mainly in the realm of jazz, while the last nine are ferocious hardcore slabs with Yamatsuka Eye screaming overtop (a la Torture Garden). The nineteenth and final song, "American Psycho," combines everything into one six-minute track that, while often lauded by fans, is, in my opinion, overrated. In fact, Radio as a whole is quite disappointing;a record returning to the style of the self-titled, my favourite from the band, should sound much more exciting than this. Part of the problem is with that aforementioned structure, which robs the record of some unpredictability. The compositions themselves, too, are not as fun, likely because it's all been heard before. The hardcore miniatures, in particular, feel forced this time around. Still, there are highlights: "The Vault" is great, "Sunset Surfer" is enjoyable, and "The Bitter and the Sweet" is a nice reflective track. Ultimately, it is these numbers which redeem Radio, though not to the point of being near the level of the self-titled record it is attempting to emulate.
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