Radioactivity: Time Won’t Bring Me Down [Album Review]

Radioactivity
Time Won’t Bring Me Down
Wild Honey/Dirtnap Records [2025]

“Tighter, wiser, and still blazing—Radioactivity’s return hits all the right nerves.”

Album Overview: Radioactivity formed out of the long-running creative partnership between Jeff Burke and Mark Ryan, two mainstays of the Denton, Texas punk scene. Before this band, Burke had already carved out his place in underground rock with groups like The Marked Men, The Reds, and Lost Balloons—each one proving his gift for writing sharp, melodic songs that cut straight to the heart. Alongside Ryan (Mind Spiders, O-D-EX), Daniel Fried, and Gregory Rutherford (both from Bad Sports), Radioactivity carried that same DNA forward: lean, high-energy punk with an emotional core.

Their first two albums—Radioactivity (2013) and Silent Kill (2015)—set the bar for modern melodic punk. Now, a decade later, Time Won’t Bring Me Down arrives like both a reunion and a renewal. Written and recorded over several years, it captures the chemistry of a band that’s spent decades refining its pulse. Burke’s songwriting is still immediate and intense, but this time there’s more reflection in the mix. It’s a record about persistence—how time shifts everything, yet never dulls the spark that drives musicians like Burke to keep creating.

Musical Style: Radioactivity’s sound still rides that sweet spot between punk velocity and pop clarity, but this time the edges are a little more deliberate. The tempos punch, the guitars buzz, and yet moments of restraint creep in. There’s grit in the rhythm section and brightness in the melodies, giving every song a sense of motion and purpose. The production stays raw and analog—true to their roots—but with more space for the vocals and guitar lines to breathe.

Evolution of Sound: Where Silent Kill thrived on speed and adrenaline, Time Won’t Bring Me Down finds strength in pacing and contrast. The band isn’t afraid to slow things down and explore the spaces between the riffs. Tracks like “Analog Ways” and “Shell” ease off the gas without losing intensity, showing a band comfortable enough to stretch out. It’s Radioactivity growing older but not softer—proof that even punk lifers can evolve without losing their fire.

Artists with Similar Fire: Fans of Hüsker Dü, The Thermals, and The Exploding Hearts will instantly connect here. There’s also some shared DNA with Superchunk, The Ergs!, and Cloud Nothings—bands that blend tunefulness with raw nerve. Like those peers, Radioactivity puts heart behind every hook and melody behind every burst of noise.

Pivotal Tracks: The title track, “Time Won’t Bring Me Down,” kicks things off fast and focused, packed with the kind of hooks that never leave your head. “Why” channels that familiar Burke energy—tight, restless, and full of ache. “Analog Ways,” featuring Yusuke Okada (Lost Balloons), stands out as the record’s emotional centerpiece: tender, luminous, and quietly devastating. Meanwhile, “Ignorance Is Bliss” and “Shell” push the band’s sound into new territory while keeping the urgency that defines them.

Lyrical Strength: Burke writes like someone who’s seen a lot and still believes in finding meaning through the noise. His lyrics wrestle with disconnection, time, and emotional honesty—universal stuff told with punk’s no-nonsense economy. He’s searching for clarity but never cynical, turning vulnerability into resilience. It’s that emotional honesty that gives Time Won’t Bring Me Down its staying power.

Final Groove: After ten years, Time Won’t Bring Me Down doesn’t just prove that Radioactivity still has it—it shows they’ve grown into something deeper. The tempos may shift, the tones might mellow for a beat, but every song still burns with Burke’s signature urgency. This isn’t a band trying to relive the past; it’s a band showing how punk can age with grace and muscle. If this is what Radioactivity sounds like after time’s passed them by, then maybe time’s the one trying to catch up.

RADIOACTIVITY REVIEW HISTORY
Silent Kill (2015) / Radioactivity (2013)

RADIOACTIVITY LINKS
Instagram | Bandcamp | Wild Honey Records | Dirtnap Records