Comments (1) ... As the air raid siren called out and solid, smooth, reggae infected beats and rhythms rolled out under the chanting voice of Sleepy Wonder, the grin on my face got wider and wider. The song is called "Sound the Alarm" and it leads Thievery Corporation's new album Radio Retaliation, announcing that not only is this going to be considered one of Thievery's classic albums, but that the infamous duo have an uncanny ability to deliver strong humanitarian and political messages with a finesse that, no matter what your personal beliefs are, makes the words go down smoother than premium rum. It is no coincidence there's a green ninja on the cover.

1. Sound the Alarm
2. Mandala
3. Radio Retaliation
4. Vampires
5. Hare Krsna
6. El Pueblo Unido
7. (The Forgotten People)
8. 33 Degree
9. Beautiful Drug
10. La Femme Parallel
11. Retaliation Suite
12. The Numbers Game
13. The Shining Path
14. Blasting Through the City
15. Sweet Tides

One of the first things you'll notice about Radio Retaliation, if you've got a physical copy in front of you, is the packaging. The designers at ESL Music have tapped into something I strongly believe is the future of selling physical media like CDs and vinyl records: put it in packaging that is so full on, it makes it collectible. There is no gatefold, no digipak, or even a foamy nub to attach the disc to. Instead, a cardboard wrapper, the kind boxes are made of, keeps a thickly folded poster of liner notes and nestled inside those folds you'll find the compact disc. Though it doesn't clarify, if it's all recycled paper printed with soy based inks I won't be surprised. It has a very "recyclable" feel to it, and honestly, outside of the disc itself, it's all paper. The poster-sized fold-out contains some really nice cut-and-paste looking artwork, and all the song lyrics along with quotes from individuals like Albert Einstein, Charles Sullivan, Noam Chomsky, Mahatma Gandhi and more.

As all artists have done for as long as there have been artists, Thievery Corporation are in no uncertain terms using the pulpit of their music to deliver political messages. They are delivered however through a swirling, smoky kaleidoscope that will leave most people who listen to it largely unaware of, yet affected (if only subconsciously) by its social and political text. Though Thievery Corporation's statements are expressed in at least four different languages, sometimes little more than a song title like "(The Forgotten People)", is all that needs to be said alongside a near eastern influenced instrumental song. I'll admit that at times I've had my own concerns about whether Hilton and Garza's need to deliver their messages would overshadow the composition of their music, but for anyone concerned, this is a fact: Radio Retaliation is pure goodness. Thievery Corporation realize you don't have to shout and pump your chest to get your message across.

When it comes to the music itself, you'll find everything you know and love about Thievery Corporation's sound: reggae, dub, Indian, Latin, jazz, lounge, and on. They have really managed to sharpen their edges and even apply their hands to a little bluesy funk on "The Numbers Game".

It doesn't seem like a stretch at all to call Radio Retaliation the "homme" to The Mirror Conspiracy's "femme" vibe and classic Thievery sound. Guest musicians joining Hilton and Garza on this album include daughter of sitar master Ravi Shankar, and sitar virtuoso in her own right Anoushka Shankar, as well as Nigerian afro-beat star Femi Kuti, respected Brazilian vocalist Seu Jorge, Slovakian singer and violinist Jana Andevska, and DC-based "Godfather of Go-Go" Chuck Brown. Other personalities re-joining the duo, who we can easily regard as "the rest of the Corporation" are Sleepy Wonder, LouLou, Notch, Zee, and Verny Varela.

Radio Retaliation, as more than just this review will tell you, is pure fire. Classic, classic, classic Thievery.

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