Just What We Needed: Cars Cruising With First New Album in More Than 20 Years

[Zoneboy]

Link

For those of you into classic TV shows, you may recall an episode of “The Twilight Zone” where time stood still.

Ric Ocasek and his mates in Boston’s revered new wave band The Cars must have been watching that show too.

The Cars have returned after a nearly unprecedented time away from the pop scene. “Move Like This” is their first new studio album with Ocasek in nearly 24 years and that should be enough time to have stripped away the freshness from their once glimmering shimmering sound.

No way.

Amazingly, “Move Like This” fits perfectly into the Cars’ canon, and while it may not be quite up there with their classic 1978 debut or 1979’s “Candy-O,” it sounds surprisingly contemporary and yes, just like the Cars.

Ocasek, multi-instrumentalist Greg Hawkes, guitarist Elliot Easton and drummer David Robinson have reunited, sadly without their late bassist Benjamin Orr – best known for singing the band’s brilliant “Drive” – who died of cancer in 2000.

Still the essence of the Cars’ sound is still here, and Ocasek’s slightly offbeat outlook on the world surfaces immediately on the pulsating, keyboard-driven opener “Blue Tip,” which warns “Keep you hat on backwards/keep you lips tucked in/the world is full of quackers/and bellybutton rings.”

The throbbing rhythms so synonymous with the band’s sound surface frequently here, like on “Too Late,” the thumping “Keep on Knocking,” or what’s arguably the set’s centerpiece, “Soon.” In a recent national radio interview Ocasek noted that “Soon” is based on a theme that time is going to run out “without your permission.” The deeply moving ballad is also stylistically similar to “Drive,” sung with a gentle, tender approach courtesy of Ocasek.

The set also contains another potent ballad in the melancholy “Take Another Look,” which anchors the back half of the disc, along with the hand-clapping rhythms of “Sad Song.”

Produced by “Jacknife” Lee (Weezer, Bad Religion, Guided by Voices) and The Cars, the project was initially envisioned as an Ocasek solo album until the songwriter had the smarts to call in the three guys he had known the best, all those years ago. Right move, right time and now they’re touring again. The Cars will be coming soon to a town near you. Be there.

Tracks to download: “Soon,” “Blue Tip.”

[dakert]

I am not digging "Sad Song". I can feel the 81/82 vibe but it is too much of a downer.

[robyrob]

the Cars are a great band and its good to see them doing this

Ric Ocasek produced the better weezer albums, the guy's a genius

[TheCars1986]

Can't wait to have the album tomorrow, and I'm going to see them on the
23rd of this month, I can't wait! You can listen to the entire album over at rolling stone's website, "Too Late" is definitely the best song IMO.

[MickeyMac]

I havent heard it yet, but I have heard nothing but good things about this record. And its coming out on record!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MickeyMac]

I got to hear this yesterday, and its pretty good.

[dakert]

pretty good? please elaborate

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

I got to hear this yesterday, and its pretty good.

[TheCars1986]

Originally Posted by dakert

pretty good? please elaborate

The album is great, it's almost like they never went away. It fits perfectly in with the chronology of their other albums. On a side note, just saw them live last night...a true dream come true, never would have thought I'd get to see them live in my lifetime. And they kicked ass. Heard a lot of criticisms about how they had "zero stage prescence" and that Ric wouldn't talk to the audience or move, etc. That was all proven wrong last night. Ric addressed the crowed, smiled, waved, etc. Every member of the band spoke to the audience last night, and every song (even the new ones) had the audience jamming and rocking. It was great.