In October, Radiator Hospital released their latest album, Play The Songs You Like. This follows their previous albums Torch Song and Something Wild and is their first release in three years. The band, originating in Grand Rapids, MI, is known for their punk-alternative vibe accompanied by an acoustic sound. Sam Cook-Parrott, the lead songwriter, features as the main voice in all of their albums.

Radiator Hospital has been creating a sound of their own for years. On this album, they include the song Also Ran which is mainly instrumental with almost unintelligible singing at the end. The songs on the album tend to be short and guitar-heavy, accompanied by Cook-Parrott’s crooning voice, which alternates from a rich, melodic serenade on songs such as Nothing Nice to a high, energetic twangy lament with Old Refrain.

Their songs generally deal with love, loss, and self-doubt.  With lyrics such as, “As I tiptoe around the cracks in all the time that we spent/ I’ve been filling in the lines,” from Out of Mind, their music is hard-hitting. This song has a heavy bass line and intense drums, further emphasizing the feeling of heartbreak. By creating such personal and heartfelt songs, Cook-Parrott shares a piece of his life with his fans, creating an immediately deep connection from artist to audience.

You see both sides of romantic heartbreak, with lyrics including, “It’s almost Friday night, and I don’t love you anymore/ I’d tell you why, but what would I do that for?” from Heart of Darkness. The diversity of the content, as well as the energy (or lack thereof) in their songs, provides something for everyone to relate to.

Radiator Hospital provides a fresh, much needed alternative from mainstream hits, which are overplayed and overrated, regurgitating the same beats and themes of young love. Their music spans from upbeat, feel-good tunes to mellow, gloomy songs.

They include their own twist on the song Sycamore by Martha, another indie-punk band that they have previously collaborated with. Also featured is Absolutely Positive which is dedicated to Martha and shows the friendly relationship between the bands, saying, “I think I know the words, so I try and sing along/ Add me to the list, yeah it’s getting pretty long, but I feel something when you play that song.”

Radiator Hospital continues to release beautiful music that touches listeners on a deeper level. Hopefully, fans won’t need to wait another three years to hear more from the band.