Alas! A new Weezer release! Why, Rivers, do you make us wait so long? First of all, before I get to the music, I must say that the red looks quite spiffy. The four of them lined up once again as they did for The Blue & Green Albums, as well as Make Believe. Even if you've never heard a single Weezer song, you can see that they've changed and matured just by viewing the succession of these covers. The cowboy hat threw everyone for a loop, but that's exactly the point. I think Rivers wanted to visually address the fact that this is an experimental, branching out of sorts type of album. As for the future? He could have dreads on the Yellow album. Just wait!As with most Weezer albums, the first track opens up with a crisp, attention-grabbing diddy. This one's called "Troublemaker" and is arguably the best opening track for Weezer since "My Name is Jonas." It's hardly experimental, though it did hit my soft spot. The lyrics explore more of Rivers' penchant for disliking cliques, normality, and fakers, while sarcastically (or perhaps not) exploiting his own fame. I predict I'll be singing this song - albeit with incorrect lyrics - hours after I finish listening to this disc.
As the disc spins into the heart of track two, I'm purely delighted. I'm loving this! I might be able to describe in detail how awesome this track is, but I'm still busy picking pieces of my mind up off the floor! This is like Weezer's take on Sgt. Pepper's or Pet Sounds!!
The lead single, "Pork and Beans" proves that Rivers can sit down and write a hit song whenever he wants. I guess he proved that a while ago. These lyrics so far are tickling me the right way. My only concern is if I might become a little jaded with him being so facetious and overly stuck up. I do love how they act as a great reflective parody of what kids buy into nowadays. I mean, seriously. Have you read the lyrics of Billboard's top 5 singles?
"Heart Songs" is one of those songs you wish you wrote and could take credit for. We all have our songs that influence us. Most musicians will borrow some riffs, adapt some styles, change a few notes of a melody. Rivers decided to name names in this track, citing artists and songs that he grew up listening to and became fond of. I mean, that's where true love really exists, right? What a great ode.
"Everybody Get Dangerous" is like downing a giant Pixie Stick, chasing it with 6 Red Bulls, then being given a chainsaw in one hand and a stick of dynamite in the other. I look back to my own childhood years and wonder how I ever made it through as well. This song would have been the soundtrack to many a wild night! Love the killer riff in the chorus as well as the battle at the end between members of The Blue Man Group and Stomp!
"Dreamin'" takes a similar progression from "Why Bother" off of Pinkerton and slows it down a bit. The tempo changes keep the song from being a little too repetitive. This one will probably be the track that will have to grow on me after a while. I do like the concept and the lyrics, though.
"Thought I Knew" has Brian Bell singing lead. Although I would never guess that this is a Weezer song, it does give the album some variety and it's not that bad of a track. Don't skip this one and give it a chance. There's more than meets the ear here.
Scott Shriner almost comes off as a creepy stalker in "Cold Dark World." Almost? Haha. Well, I'm sure he's sincere. I think you just need to know him before you make that judgment. Once again, he touches on a familiar Weezer theme, writing about reaching people who feel unreachable. He's connecting with an audience that desperately needs connecting, although is afraid to admit it.
Well, don't think they'd just leave the drummer out! Pat Wilson gets a chance as well to sing lead. It's definitely not the best track, but "Automatic" sounds like 90's vibe produced with today's technology. There's a chunk of substance really missing from the song, though the shimmering and overlapping sounds try their best to fill the void.
As with The Blue Album, our last track here clocks in as the lengthiest. Cuomo laments here like only Cuomo can. But rest assured, this is more about finding a balance. This is the most philosophical track, though it can be interpreted in many ways. I was going to attempt my best guess here, but maybe I'll just let it be. It's a peaceful song that doesn't need my thoughts to paint it. This black and white song is best left alone to be the most effective representation.
On first listen, the first half of the disc was more sinfully pleasing for me, while the second half urged me to be more mature. I feel like I've gone through some up's and down's in my life, all the while feeling like I've always been true to myself. I've never had any regrets, but I've always had a certain urgency to push forward and explore the world as well as my emotions. Maybe this is why I can related so well to The Red Album, or even their whole discography. Growing old with Weezer has never seemed so succinct until now.
(4 of 5)
~Robert
No comments:
Post a Comment