The Cars release new video for 'Sad Song' from their first album in 24 years: Watch it here!
Recently reunited New Wave veterans The Cars are once again teasing their upcoming album Move Like This—their first since calling it quits over 20 years ago—with a video for the catchy, fun, and misleadingly titled “Sad Song.”
Just in case you missed the news the first time around, this isn’t that Todd Rundgren-fronted New Cars business—this is Ric Ocasek on vocals backed by the original line-up (minus Benjamin Orr, the band’s bassist and occasional vocalist who died of pancreatic cancer in 2000). They release their first album since 1987 on May 10, but for now, watch the video here:
Those (understandably) wary of any band reuniting decades later can rest easy; “Sad Song” comes across as a trim, catchy Cars tune updated to gel with the 21st century’s idea of what the ’80s sounded like. While the verses would have fit perfectly on the band’s 1984 album Heartbeat City, the atmospheric, synth-heavy chorus veers sounds more like the Bravery. But then again, saying the reunited Cars have a song that sounds like ’80s revivalism is essentially saying they’ve reclaimed a style borrowed from them in the first place. So… it all evens out, right?
Perhaps aware of the fact that “Sad Song” sounds like it could have come from a New Wave-loving band of twentysomethings, the video scarcely show a clear shot of the band, instead focusing on arms grasping through a latex wall and old-timey P.T. Barnum folk.
What do you think of the new Cars track? Is it worthy of their legacy? At the very least, it’s an undeniable improvement from where they left off (1987’s Door to Door), right? Or do you miss Todd Rundgren edition of the band already?
EW.com: