The Cars - 'Move Like This'

For some fans, the mere fact that the surviving members of the band recorded an album of new material and agreed to a brief tour is enough to make them happy. Those who were anticipating a fresh, new sound from The Cars are the ones who will be disappointed.

The 2011 lineup is as close at it can possibly be to the original: Rick Ocasek (lead vocalist and songwriter); guitarist Elliot Easton; keyboardist Greg Hawkes; drummer David Robinson.

The most noticeable difference (and it's not a good one) between then and now is the absence of bassist/vocalist Ben Orr, who died of cancer in 2000. It was his voice that carried hits like "Drive" and "Let's Go" and "Just What I Needed" back in the day. To their credit, the band didn't try to replace Orr. Easton and Hawkes took turns on bass, and supplied vocal harmony for Ocasek.

In an interview with Rolling Stone Oacsek acknowledged the effect of Orr's absence. "I was aware that on half of the new songs, Ben would have done better than I did, but we never wanted anybody from the outside." That was a good decision, and a plus for the resulting album.

There is a certain sameness to the sound of tracks like "Sad Song" (the first single from the album,) "Blue Tip" and "Too Late" that some fans will appreciate, but of which others will tire quickly.

Songs that vary from this formula are the ones I personally liked best: rockers "Free" and "Keep on Rocking"; ballads "Soon" and "Take Another Look". The other six are, to me, enough alike that none are particularly memorable.

The Cars were always a better studio band than a live performance band. This may explain why their 2011 tour consists of just 10 shows, and why Ocasek expressed a reluctance to tour in that Rolling Stone interview. "I wouldn't mind doing more records [but] this is not 'We're back, and you're gonna hear the hits.'" And he reiterated the obvious effect of Orr's passing. Referring to himself he said, "People would just say, 'He doesn't sing it as good as Ben, but what the f*** — he's the guy who wrote it."

In spite of what seems like my less than glowing review of some aspects of the album, I like it. I like the fact that they reunited. Even though it contributes to the feeling of sameness, I like the fact that the band seemed to click, seemingly effortlessly, in spite of the 24 years separating their last album and this one.

As long as your expectations are realistic, if you've ever been a fan of The Cars, you'll like it, too.

Release date: May 10, 2011
Review date: May 5, 2011

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