There's been a lot of griping recently about Radio 4's newest release Stealing Of A Nation. Everything from the DFA's edgier production on 2002's Gotham! being replaced by Max Heyes fascination for retro drum machines, to Radio 4's dance punk upbringings almost being completely erased with an 80's influenced dance club sound. As strange as it may be, no one can (should) honestly say that they didn't see this coming. Ever since Radio 4's 2000 debut The New Song And Dance, Radio 4 has been heading more and more towards new wave influences like New Order, and away from the guitar driven leanings of Gang Of Four and Public Image Ltd. (from which their namesake comes.) But as truly awful as it all sounds, most of this album is still quite a bit of fun (especially for a closet 80's dork like myself).

Lead singer Anthony Roman sounds more like Joe Jackson now than he ever has, and even though songs like "Absolute Affirmation" and "(Give Me All Your) Money" sound exactly like rip offs of INXSs' "Don't Change" and Dead Or Alive's "You Spin Me Round" respectively, they still work vicariously at getting my ass to the dance floor. "The Death Of American Radio" and "Nation" both suck lyrically at being social commentary/polemics, then again Radio 4 have never been know for their powerful political acumen. Musically, however, it's still quite entertaining. And as it's become tradition on a Radio 4 release, the last three songs feel phoned in, which is why Radio 4 should be legally restricted to making EP's for the rest of their career. Even though Stealing Of A Nation is definitely the weakest release so far in Radio 4's catalog, it's nowhere near the colossal blunder that other critics have made it out to be.