Artist: The Cars

Album: Move Like This

Label: Hear Music

Funny thing about pronouncements involving the word "never" - they have a way of being less than permanent.

Case in point is Ric Ocasek - lead singer of The Cars - claiming in a 2005 interview that he wouldn't be joining his bandmates should they ever tour or record another album after the band's 1988 breakup. Yet here we are, less than a decade later - and over 30 years since the band's debut - and The Cars reunite for Move Like This.

Sure, cynics might argue that Move might be a calculated move to take advantage of a general nostalgia for all things 80's, but fans of the band, or power chords in general, will find much to celebrate. It's a delightful time machine of an album which mines a rich vein of New Wave gold.

Versatile producer Jacknife Lee pitches in on half of the album's 10 tracks and provides some modern touches, but even so, this is a vintage album, from the funky beeps and synth on the opening bars of "Blue Tip," to the power chords of "Keep on Knocking." It helps when four-fifths of the band's original lineup is still around to collaborate. It's a credit to their cohesiveness that after over two decades apart, these guys can still rediscover their groove.

True, there are no "Just What I Needed"-type hits in the bunch, but a danceable, hooky track like "Sad Song" suggests it might have had a chance at the top of the charts in the band's heyday, as does "Take Another Look," a slow-dance number which hits all the right notes on the chorus. Ocasek's pouty, aloof delivery is still alternately damaged and too-cool, depending on what the song requires, and the band's minimalist arrangements allow playful touches like a glockenspiel on "Drag on Forever" to shine through.

The 80's were an era of style over substance, and The Cars were no exception. Digging deeper than the hooks and driving beats and there's little here to grab onto thematically. Sometimes, achieving that clever couplet means sacrificing lengthy phrasing. But as a gem hiding in the early stages of 2011, Move Like This is sure to find a home.

*This review first published 5/17/2011