The world's falling apart, but rock-and-roll is forever. And while some would like to say that Cheap Trick are not going to change things, their brand of music is so infectious, such joyous power-pop, that any release from these folks seems like a treasure in a year of awfulness. In Another World, the group's newest record, out Friday via BMG, is full of crispy and crunchy riffs and delicious hooks. It's so good that I was sort of surprised, frankly, and I'm the guy who'll defend One on One (1982) to the death.
While the title cut is a big ballad like "World's Greatest Lover", "The Summer Looks Good on You" and "Quit Waking Me Up" bounce and snap with purpose. Both benefit from an abudance of bright hooks and clear production and a listener is grateful, once again, that Nielsen and Zander can conjure up this musical magic still. "Boys & Girls & Rock 'N' Roll" is tighter yet, a nice throwback to "Just Got Back"-era stuff, with Robin's voice still sounding as sharp as a nice. In Another World has a nice sheen overall, and one which favors this kind of material and odd ballad.
In Another World has a few detours from the formula that made us love this band's music in the first place. "Final Days" sounds a bit like "Yer Blues", and the Lennon love continues with a cover ("Gimme Some Truth") popping up at the album's end. But another side of Lennon is heard in the lovely "So It Goes", one the best stabs at Beatles-style pop this band has produced since "Say Goodbye" back in 1997. While I'd wish for more stuff like that, there's nothing really too weak on In Another World. For Cheap Trick fans, this is a fairly consistent record, and one which reaffirms my faith in this band to deliver the best kind of power pop. That they've been doing it for decades is a sort of a miracle, frankly, and one feels that it would be unfair to criticize the weaker numbers on any Trick release when, overall, Cheap Trick's been so great for so long.
In Another World is out everywhere on Friday via BMG.
More details on Cheap Trick via the official website.