WeezerIf lead single, Memories, from nerd-rock legends Weezer’s last album, 2010’s Hurley, found them pining for their halcyon beginnings, then their optimistically titled ninth studio effort finds them actually striving to replicate the magic of their mid-‘90s heyday.
After proto-Weezer opener, Ain’t Got Nobody – first-person confessional lyrics contrasted against crunchy riffs and hook-laden singalong choruses – first single, Back To The Shack (“the shack” being their old sharehouse/rehearsal space) acts as both a mission statement (“Rockin’ out like it’s ’94”) and a literal apology to fans for recent musical indiscretions (“Sorry guys I didn’t realise that I needed you so much”). Accordingly ex-The Cars frontman Ric Ocasek returns (he helmed 1994’s Blue Album and 2001’s Green Album) to oversee a collection of catchy rock’n’roll tracks shaped by frontman Rivers Cuomo’s inscrutable vision of Weezer’s core strengths and the quartet’s irrefutable musical chops. The classic pop of Lonely Girl, the snappy Cleopatra and the catchy ‘80s vibe of Go Away (featuring Best Coast’s Beth Costentino) all work well and there are no major headscratchers, although closing three-piece hair-metal suite The Futurescope Trilogy is probably for diehards only.
Still, it’s best not to overanalyse Weezer lest you go crazy. It’s a fun foray and their strongest album in ages, though still far from their best. It’s probably impossible to recapture the past glories they’re trying to evoke here, but it’s sure nice of them to try.
