Adrian Belew & The Bears - Car Caught Fire (2001)

Beneath all the quirkiness, Adrian Belew is quite a pop tunesmith, especially evident by his work with the Bears. While fans figured they'd heard the last of them in the late '80s, the band unexpectedly got back together shortly after the dawn of the 21st century -- issuing their first studio release in 13 years, "Car Caught Fire." And the group picks up exactly where they left off -- putting their modern spin on a post-Beatles power pop style. Don't get me wrong, Belew's eccentricity still shines through on the material (as well as his guitar expertise), especially "Caveman," but if it's expertly crafted, melodic pop songs you're after, Car Caught Fire has its fair share, especially "Life in a Nutshell" and "What's the Good of Knowing." It may have taken an extraordinarily long time for the Bears to issue their third proper release, but Car Caught Fire was well-worth the wait.