"The Latest" is the latest from Cheap Trick and it is, arguably, the best album since, say, "Next Position Please". Robin Zander is a force beyond comprehension, a man who sings in voice no worse off from 40 years on the road. The man belts it. If you are a fan and do not have this yet, get listening to the soundbites for the best proof I can offer. "2006`s Rockford foreshadowed a return to form, but I`m exceedingly happy to say that with The Latest, Cheap Trick has finally fully recaptured that rush...As they slam into a superb glam-pop cover of Slade`s "When the Lights Are Out", one that also pointedly recalls "Elo Kiddies" from 1977s Cheap Trick,it is obvious that Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson, and Bun E. Carlos have been sipping from some restorative spring as well..."Everyday You Make Me Crazy" makes the most of its less than a minute and a half length by using every second to make you smile and sing along. "California Girl" is, as its title might imply, a perfect summer song with a bit of vintage rockabilly, and more self-referential trivia, in its roots. "Everybody Knows" and "Alive" are great examples of the definitive Cheap Trick sound. "Everybody Knows" is a Zander-penned tune arranged with lush layers, brimming with Beatle-esque harmonies, completed with haunting, lost-at-sea imagery. "Alive" is instantly recognizable as a Cheap Trick song, thanks mainly to the propulsive cymbals of Carlos and Nielsen`s tight, bright bursts of guitar...If I had to voice one complaint about Cheap Trick`s The Latest, it might be that pairing two slower ballads at the end of the album risks draining some of the potency gathered earlier by the rockers. But that`s hardly even worth mentioning when the album has so much momentum to spare. If I had to voice a second com
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