Cheap Trick returns to 'Rockford' roots

Cheap Trick "Rockford" (Big3)

After more than a decade of wandering in the sonic wilderness, the power-pop quartet from Rockford, Ill. is back to doing what it does best — crafting unforgettable melodies and slathering them in angry guitars and Beatles-esque harmonies atop a pounding rhythm section.

Unlike their last two studio releases, 1997's "Cheap Trick" and 2003's "Special One," guitarist Rick Nielsen and company offer up hard-and-fast rockers that hark back to an earlier era when seemingly every teenager in America owned a copy of "Cheap Trick at Budokan."

The first single, "Perfect Stranger," instantly bores its way into your brain and won't let go, with Robin Zander's plaintive vocals supported by bassist Tom Petersson and drummer Bun E. Carlos' urgent underpinnings. More tasty hooks and memorable melodies abound on "Give it Away," which, like many tracks here, is actually a leftover from past tours that is only now seeing the light of day.

"One More" begins with New Orleans blues jive, and ends in a noisy crescendo combining elements of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" with Cheap Trick's own "Four Letter Word" from 1982.

And don't be fooled by the duplicate song titles of two tracks here: "Come On Come On" and "O Claire" are totally different songs than 1970s Cheap Trick tunes that bear the same names.

So it's 2006 and Cheap Trick still wants you to want them. After a trip back to "Rockford," you will.

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