Radiators

The Radiators have been one of New Orleans' premier party bands since the 1970s, with their yearly gig at the New Orleans Jazz Festival inevitably bringing down the house. After decades of playing together with an intact lineup, the members of the Radiators have developed a remarkable musical empathy. On their self-titled album, the band show they can both play tightly and let it flow like the jam band they're sometimes pegged as. The polyrhythmic "Deep in My Voodoo" kicks off The Radiators, then the album continues with a survey of adult alternative styles: from the straightforward roots rock of "I Don't Speak Love" to the spooky ballad "These Fugitive Dreams" (which sounds like an outtake from Bruce Springsteen's The River) to the frat-rock closer "Untouched by Human Hands." The Radiators is an enjoyable listen from start to finish, but that's all it is. It's the sound of craftmasters playing songs so derivative of others, they may as well be playing cover songs. On an album, that's a big problem, but these songs undoubtedly sound more exciting live.