| Print |

Written by Jason Neubauer Tuesday, 07 June 2011 10:00

The 10 tracks serve as a litany of classic new wave styling that may well have sounded at home in their catalog 30 years ago.

In the latter half of the 1970s, Boston band The Cars was among the very first groups to break into the still nascent new wave scene that would mushroom in the 1980s and become influential in popular music through much of the '90s and into the present day. Being at the beginning of the movement meant that The Cars was one of the outfits that took it upon themselves to weld the signature sound of 1970s guitar rock onto the emerging popularity of synth-driven rock, and as such they became well liked by fans of both styles.

What the May 2011 release Move Like This has to offer is much of the same. The 10 tracks serve as a litany of classic new wave styling that may well have sounded at home in their catalog 30 years ago. Kickoff track “Blue Tip” springs to life instantly with a synth beat that repeats and is reminiscent of the early 1980s incarnation of the band. A cohesive run of songs follows through the next two tracks, “Too Late” and “Keep on Knockin,” which have the same flavor that has become synonymous with The Cars’ sound. Number four, “Soon,” slows things to more of a ballad pace and calls to mind some of frontman Ric Ocasek’s solo work from the mid 1980s. The second half of the album offers a delightful mix of sophistication from the new wave veterans with the still youthful sound of Ocasek’s vocals accompanied by the musicianship of the other three founding members, Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, and David Robinson.

With a 10-city US tour underway and the release of 10 fresh tracks, it is safe to assume that The Cars will enjoy a resurgence of popularity among listeners. The music itself, as with their already impressive body of former work, has more hooks than a tackle box and the familiar clean baritone of Ocasek’s voice is back in full force. A | Jason Neubauer

RIYL: The Boomtown Rats, David Bowie, Los Lonely Boys