Cheap Trick is one of the most consistently excellent bands in rock history. With the exception of some rather dicey releases from the mid 80s to the early 90s, they’ve never deviated far from their signature formula, which is essentially “Who needs a formula?!”. That’s the charm of a Cheap Trick record. There’s a little something for everyone. This isn’t because Cheap Trick is catering to any particular demographic(s). It’s because Cheap Trick are fans of many kinds of music. Unlike some of their peers who have abandoned the prospect of new music altogether, Cheap Trick gets off on the music they make. You can hear it on the grooves of their latest studio album, In Another World.
While I’ve enjoyed the last few Cheap Trick albums, there’s something about In Another World that puts it a notch above the rest. With the exception of some ethereal “Mandocello” style ballads, the production is rather stripped down in the vein of 1977’s Cheap Trick and In Color. And while previous releases may have leaned more towards one certain aspect of the Cheap Trick sound (specifically their power pop backbone), In Another World encompasses the genre defying diversity of their first four albums.
The album opens with the previously released single, “The Summer Looks Good on You”. This upbeat power pop smash is textbook Cheap Trick. In a world where Top 40 wasn’t dominated by a homogenized bastardization of hip hop, it would at the very least crack the Top 10. From there, we’re treated to a collection of 11 brand new songs. Cheap Trick has never been afraid to display their Beatle influences on their sleeves. Cuts like “Quit Waking Me Up” and “Passing Through” are proof positive. The Lennon/McCartney-isms are dominant, reminiscent of the Revolver/Sgt. Pepper’s era.
We go from The Beatles to The Stones on “Boys & Girls & Rock N Roll”. Robin Zander does a dead on Mick Jagger, while Rick Nielsen’s riffs ooze that trademark Keith Richards grit. It’s the first of a handful of hard rockers on this album, all of which draw from different areas on the hard rock spectrum. “The Party” is a dance friendly garage rocker with a big beat and even bigger riffs. “Here’s Looking at You” tows the line between power pop and hard rock, as so many of our favorite Cheap Trick songs do. The melodies are more sugary than rock candy, but those riffs boast that hard rock energy and attitude. My choice cut is “Light Up the Fire”. Easily the darkest and heaviest track on the album, “Light Up the Fire” showcases the sinister side of Cheap Trick which has seldom made an appearance since the 1997 self titled.
The most interesting moment on In Another World comes in the form of its pseudo-title tracks. Yes, I used the word “tracks”, plural. During the first half of the album, we hear “Another World”: A lush, simple Beatlesque ballad. Zander does his finest Lennon croon to a backdrop of strings and acoustic guitars. Towards the end of the album’s second half, we’re treated to the flip side of the same coin, “Another World – Reprise”. Could this really be the same song we heard just an hour earlier? It is, albeit a punked up, maxed out, amphetamine fueled rendition of such. The fact that I can’t choose which version I prefer says a lot about my musical taste.
In terms of a straight up rock n’ roll album, I’d be shocked if any other release this year comes close to In Another World. The magic that Cheap Trick conjures with just their instruments and voices is unparalleled. Even at this stage in their career, they show zero signs of slowing down. Every young, aspiring musician should take note from the band who put the “Rock” in Rockford. They’re all alright indeed!
8 out of 10
Label: BMG
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Enuff Z’Nuff