The Cars made pop music sound deceptively simple. They also made it sound thrillingly alive – their self-titled debut remains one of the best examples of the antithesis to punk, a sprawling new-wave masterpiece of pop epics.

The Cars stumbled out of Boston in the late 1970s and capitalised on the burgeoning rise of new wave by making records that were more instantly approachable, and with mega hooks just made for radio. There was no artistic bullshit to Ric Ocasek’s songs – he was a rock ‘n pop fan, and he wrote great songs pure and simple.

That’s why it’s such a shame that Substitution Mass Confusion is so pathetically, well, lame. In the hands of the likes of Damone’s cut on “Just What I Needed” or Bleu’s “You Might Think” they take these can’t-go-wrong songs and strip them of the energy, turning out rote covers devoid of impact.

At least Butch Walker tries something different, turning “My Best Friend’s Girlfriend” into an acoustic blues number more similar to something by Eels, while Jason Faulkner uses the standoffishness of “Touch and Go” well. But, somewhat surprisingly perhaps, it’s awfully-coifed NY new nü-rockers the Bravery who get it right by turning “It’s All I Can Do” into an anthem that gets it right.