Rating: NNN
For 1997’s Troublizing, Ric Ocasek enlisted the help of Billy Corgan, Bad Religion guitarist Brian Baker and bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, which seemed a little desperate and totally unnecessary for someone of his talent. Now working mainly as a producer, he takes the opposite approach on Nexterday. Despite the lame title, it’s full of catchy, sophisticatedly understated tunes that are totally recognizable as Ocasek’s. Pretty chill and sounding like a stripped-down Cars, he plays most of the instruments himself, emphasizing his greatest strength, his simplicity.
