419. The Cars - The Cars

The Cars are a new-wave, power-pop band from Boston who formed in 1976. They have been a very influential band which is partially down to their radio airplay friendly sound, which led to them reaching a pretty sizeable audience. They are best known for their 1984 single Drive, which you will know. I have never come across them outside of that context, and it is always good to hear a band's debut album, especially given it's success at the time, so I was looking forward to this week.

Good Times Roll kicks things off with a big, lolloping slice of Americana. However, the tone struck is frankly more desperation for the good times to start than for them to continue. My Best Friend's Girl was released as a single, peaking at number 35 in the US and number 3 in the UK, and is basically the musical forerunner for Stacy's Mom. Apparently Nirvana performed a cover of it at their last ever gig, and it is a classic pop song, although I don't think The Cars do it justice. Just What I Needed has a stonking riff and ridiculous solo, and it is this style of slightly heavier sound that works much better for the band, with Elliott Easton a hypnotic lead guitarist. I'm in Touch with your World is simply a list of bizarre sound effects trying to hold a song together. And failing. There are some rough diamonds here though, such as the chorus to You're all I've got tonight, which could be awesome with its synth/guitar/saxophone combo if it were sandwiched between better verses, and if it didn't go on for quite as long. Moving in Stereo is lyrically poor, sounds dated as hell, but is hugely enjoyable nonetheless. A broody undertone of swirling noise overlaid with simple, sharp synths, and some innovative drumming, coupled with ridiculous studio effects; it is a fantastically 80's song released in 1978. It's All Mixed Up would also sit in this category, and it is when the Cars are ploughing this particular furrow that they sound at their best. The chorus on this track is the best single part of this album, for me, and one of the few aspects I reckon I'll revisit.

This album is somewhere between Talking Heads and Tears for Fears. But not as good as either. Sometimes the lead singer, Ric Ocasek, sounds like a slightly budget Freddie Mercury - not an embarrassing comparison at all. The album is very much peaks and troughs, with some songs that are worthy of being much better known. The Cars can really write a cracking chorus when they put their mind to it, but they seem to struggle with what to do with the rest of the song. They are the epitome of a single's band, with their songs having a similar, repetitive DNA, and if I could cut this album down to an EP it would be great. But this is an album, I can't, and so it isn't.

Chloe's rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 3. Just What I Needed

Olly's rating: 6

Olly's favourite track: 9. All Mixed Up

Next week we have more late 70s synth work, but on a different scale - 449. The Pleasure Principle by Gary Numan. So, more Cars then.