Move Like This

What causes a classic rock act to give it another go almost thirty years after their heyday? The Cars were an absolutely essential pop-rock band of the new wave era, bridging the gap between glam rock and power pop with hits like "Just What I Needed," "Good Times Roll," and "Shake It Up." Since their demise in the mid-eighties, frontman Ric Ocasek has continued his successful producing career (Weezer's Blue Album, etc.) and the band's signature sound was given a second life on the charts via revivalists like The Killers and Fountains of Wayne. But even after several listens of their comeback Move Like This, the group's return remains perplexing. Even with a nearly complete original lineup on hand (bassist/vocalist Benjamin Orr died in 2000), the record plays like a paint-by-numbers primer of early '80s new wave, with weak hooks and few surprises. Ocasek's vocals struggle to keep up with the choppy guitars and obligatory synthesizer, and all of them sound lifeless and robotic. Their intentions are clearly good, but this incarnation of the band lacks both the vision and the songwriting chops to recapture lost glory. The safest bets here are confident midtempo number "Too Late" and eager opener "Blue Tip," which does manage to capture a bit of sparky vigor in its cheery chorus and agile guitar riff.