Band leader Ric Ocasek of The Cars said it would never happen but in 2010/2011 four-fifths of the original band regrouped to record the final album – Move Like This. Missing bassist/co-vocalist Benjamin Orr who passed away in 2000, the band produced half the tracks on their own and half with producer Jacknife Lee. The snappy, 10 track album takes in many of their hallmark sounds, starting with the plinky plonk keyboard of “Blue Tip”, Ocasek with the spry vocals and catchy chorus.
The drums of David Robinson mix well with the keyboards of Greg Hawkes on “Too Late”,Hawkes later creates a Moby-like soundscape on the dramatic “Take Another Look”. A couple of tracks dip back into the 80s with mixed results, better are the songs that mix modern guitar sounds with their classic Cars’ sound like “It’s Only”. The single “Sad Song” puts the guitars of Elliot Easton up front on a track that sounds like a brighter take on Interpol. Their 80s swansong Door to Door left the group with a bit of a sour note but Move Like This was a sleek update on their classic guitar/keyboard sound.
7/10
The Light Appears 