When they finally returned, they hit back with a 10-song collection more in keeping with their debut’s sound the Green Album is one of the 21 st century’s finest examples of pop rock, condensed into 28 minutes and containing, as usual, some of the most memorable guitar solos of all time thanks to Cuomo – he’s basically Kirk Hammett with glasses and a jumper. So when Pinkerton got slagged off by pretty much everyone, Weezer’s mainman called time on the band for a while. He’s an artist but, like most people with a brain and little pretence, he does care what others think. Don’t fall into the trap – give Maladroit a go.Īs suggested with Maladroit, Cuomo takes criticism to heart. It’s an under-appreciated gem and due to its bizarre gestation period – demos were shared with fans online, fans gave feedback, thus influencing the record’s tracklisting – people are easy to dismiss it. Possibilities is a track Weezer need to bring back into the live set just for those backing vocals alone but, to be honest, we’d be happy with Maladroit being played front to back. The tumultuous build and Cuomo’s spiteful words on Slob counteract the eventual payoff, almost harking back to Pinkerton in terms of its dark atmosphere. Despite their unfair pigeonholing as ‘just a pop rock band’, Weezer’s fourth album proves that they can do even more stuff while still retaining that poppy trademark on stuff like Keep Fishin’. Admittedly it is a little jarring pressing play and hearing American Gigolo’s crunching heavy metal riff open up a Weezer album, but the same could be said about hearing Pinkerton straight after the Blue Album.
God bless Rivers Cuomo and Weezer for coming along with a perfect summer record right when the world needed it most.Ĭrafted with the help of Weezer’s fans via message boards, Maladroit is a weird one that doesn’t get anywhere near as much credit as it deserves. It doesn't quite match the highs of 'classic' Weezer, but feels more in-keeping with the direction the band appeared to be taking with The Green Album and Make Believe, albeit with the explicit acknowledgement that this is Weezer donning a specific hat (or hair-do, as the case may be). Modelled on classic heavy metal and hard rock, Van Weezer is like finding a perfect oasis amidst the guitar-barren landscape of the band's more recent output, complete with massive guitar lines and even bigger choruses. As if the name isn't a big enough clue, Van Weezer is that record. How Green Day's Basket Case changed pop-punk foreverĪs early as 2019 Rivers Cuomo had hinted towards a Weezer record that would "bring back the big riffs".The 10 best album tracks Weezer have recorded since 2002.6 more monster paintings from the guy who did the new Weezer artwork.Modern Classics: Weezer - Weezer (aka 'The Green Album').My Best Friend is an abomination/work of art depending on how much cheese you can handle, but even here Cuomo’s usually perfect fret-phrasing is lost in the solo We Are All On Drugs is undeniably pathetic and its only saving grace is Patrick Wilson’s drumming, but he’s always brilliant so that’s kinda like saying, ‘Yeah, that track’s good, it’s got music in it.’ Perfect Situation and Haunt You Every Day are absolute diamonds, mind, but they’re found in a battleground of shit and a few nice-looking ferns. Cuomo’s lyrics on tracks like Pardon Me just lack conviction and that oddball charm he once had is scant. Their pop rock formula was boiled down to the point where you’re not sure if they’re being ironic or not with the radio-bothering Beverly Hills, whereas This Is Such A Pity’s bubbling electronics and synths plant the seeds for some of the band’s ill decisions further down the line. Riding off the back of, retrospectively, four exceptional albums, Make Believe could’ve saved Weezer years of catching up seeing as Rick Rubin was producing, the band may as well have been left in the woods with no aid whatsoever.
0 kommentar(er)
