Drive will almost certainly be the first word most 40-something-year-olds will utter at the mention of The Cars, and with good reason too.
Not only was the ballad virtually impossible to avoid back in the 1980s, it also gave the band its biggest international hit, inspiring the acclaimed Heartbeat City album in its wake.
On a less positive note, it also marked the beginning of the end for this Boston quintet. Within three years of that great big hit, The Cars would be no more, the split permanent enough for frontman Ric Ocasek to declare any hope of a reunion impossible.
In the world of showbiz, however, never say never, and 22 years after the split, the remaining four original members (bassist Benjamin Orr passed away in 2000) did get back together, the reunion going well enough to prompt this album of all-new songs.
Incredibly, the changing trends and time elapsed since then don’t seem to have had that great an effect on The Cars’ way with penning a tune.
In fact, from the very first notes of opening track Blue Tip all the way through the album’s 38 minutes of music, the music is so evocative of the band’s vintage 1980s timbre, it almost feels like they’ve never been away.
The tried-and-tested mix of guitars and infectious pop layers invariably feeds the new songs, with the best results more eminent on Too Late, Sad Song and Soon, the latter clearly geared to replicate Drive’s enduring appeal.
Though not ground-breaking in any way, Move Like This finds The Cars in fine form and underlines just why their music continues to hit the airwaves and inspire.
CD courtesy of www.exotique.com.mt