Blue Tip

Song: Blue Tip
Artist: The Cars
Album: Move Like This






Ummm... holy moly, The Cars are back... and they sound exactly like... The Cars.  That sounds silly, but you really won't believe how much 2011 The Cars sound like 80's The Cars.  This is The Cars baby.

Following a 1997 interview in which lead Rick Ocasek was quoted as saying that The Cars would never reunite, ("I'm saying never and you can count on that.") and the 2005 reunion of guitarist Elliot Easton and keyboardist Greg Hawkes with singer Todd Rundgren performing as "The New Cars," playing The Cars hits as well as Rundgren's solo material, drummer David Robinson and of course Ocasek (bassist Benjamin Orr died of pancreatic cancer in 2000) the band got together in 2010 with producer Jacknife Lee to record "Move Like This."

This is the first new album from the band since 1987's "Door to Door."  Ocasek had done well for himself since producing for bands such as Weezer, Nada Surf, and No Doubt, giving those new bands a taste of The Cars sound.  I haven't heard anything from The New Cars, but hearing "Move Like This," with Ocasek's unmistakable voice, it's hard to think any other incarnation could do any justice.

If so many new bands weren't biting the 80's sound already, this might seem like a "why bother," but "Move Like This" is actually really really good, filled with one winning pop rock track after another.  From the very opening of lead track "Blue Tip" you hear The Cars burst back onto the scene.  The synthesizers, the drums... and yes, Ocasek's voice... which sounds like it hasn't changed a lick.  You'll hear "Best Friends Girl" in "Sad Song," and elements of some of their best mid-tempo ballads in "Soon."

"Move Like This" isn't a retread by any means.  This is a welcome return for me, and a nice way to show these new whipper-snapers how it's done.

Enjoy.

Blue Tip

Sad Song

Too Late