Cosmic Universal Fashion

Cosmic Universal Fashion is a record on which Sammy Hagar, while keeping hard rock’s strength, softly blends a funk, blues and pop sense. The soaring voice shows no age, carrying an easy openness and heat in each song. A free imagination, unbound by genre lines, appears throughout. From the drive of the title track “Cosmic Universal Fashion” and the momentum of “Psycho Vertigo” to the straight strength of “LOUD” and a playful cover of the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for Your Right to Party,” the songs show varied faces. The crispness of the guitar and the suppleness of the rhythm give even straight rock songs a light playfulness. Its appeal is that, unbound by molds, he sounds his character as a singer naturally. Hard momentum and the lightness of funk and pop coexist without friction. It is a fulfilling solo record that lets you savor, unforced, the broad musicality cultivated over a long career and the undimmed appeal of his vocals.