Ric Ocasek "Nexterday" (Sanctuary)
By
Wednesday. Sep 28, 12:41 AM
The Cars frontman and über-producer showcases his solo grooves.

Listening to Nexterday is like finding a 20 dollar bill in your winter coat at the beginning of the season. It makes you happy, but ultimately, it's fleeting: you're going to spend that money. Probably on something stupid, like smokes or a round of drinks. And not to say that Ric Ocasek's latest solo album is disposable, it's just not distinctive. It's a comforting and sometimes refreshing listen, but nothing sticks.

"Bottom Dollar" feeds on the past and sounds like something you might stop on when radio surfing on a road trip. "In a Little Bit" has a fun near-reggae groove to it, and "Come On" reminds the listener that yes, indeed, the '80s were a slap-happy time, and don't you miss the lines at the gas station? Oh, wait…

In general, Nexterday is a decent listen, and definitely proves that Ocasek still has it in him to pen a good hook and coax out a delightfully dark synth riff, but ultimately it's too solid. Instead of flashes of brilliance and disastrous filler, the album suffers from being just "all right." Ultimately, it's music for cocktail hours, not after-hours.
www.ricocasek.com
www.sanctuaryrecords.com

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