God, yes. The CARS first new album in 24 years (seriously), Move Like This, is out today and does NOT disappoint. I received my iTunes pre-order e-mail late last night and have been marathoning it since. It’s classic CARS, fits perfectly with their 80s catalog, but does not feel like a retread in the least. It just oozes with that unmistakable Cars sound and vibe, fully intact after more than two decades.

The only missing element is Benjamin Orr, who died in 2000. (If you’re unfamiliar, he sang lead vocals on the occasional song that Ric Ocasek didn’t, including some of their most successful and well-known songs, “Drive”, “Just What I Needed”, and “Let’s Go”, among others. He was also the only member of the band who didn’t look like some kind of atomic mutant.

The Cars have always been a huge influence on me musically, especially the post-Man Before Mars pop electronic stuff I’ve been working on for the last couple of years. (My predilection for borderline-rapped verses under bouncy electronics is probably due in huge part by the Cars, as well as Psychedelic Furs, influence.) And Ric Okasek, being one of the most awkward yet talented dudes in  music, has always fascinated me and been a kind of personal inspiration, much in the same way as Mick Mars.

Anyway, Move Like This is out, so support ugly people making beautiful music and buy it!