Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End

Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End

Ah, Weezer. Certainly the sound of my youth; in fact the sound of my leaving teenage dreams and entering my twenties. 'The Blue Album' was a delight; a Pixies tribute in new clothes, bursting with equal measures of innocence and optimism. 'Pinkerton' followed and was, of course, panned for being stark and depressing. The sad realisation that rock and roll dreams do not measure up to reality. It was still a great album though, if flawed. 3rd release, 'The Green Album', was a minor return to form, if still a little cynical. What followed after that was patchy at best and horrible at worst ('Raditude'!?). Rivers Cuomo had become tired of his whimsy, and his innocence was long gone. All that was left was a collection of tired, and cliché, shadows of former glory. And, because of this, I tuned out.

I can't say what attracted me to listen intently to this new album (well, new to me; it was released in 2014); perhaps it was an effective marketing campaign. Perhaps subconsciously I was aware of the pre-release buzz; the hype of it being a 'return to form'. God, I hate that term. Anyway, it still took me some time to get around to giving it my attention. And, I'm so very glad I did. Sure, 'Back to the Shack' was in danger of being a little too self-aware for my liking, but the message is clear; Rivers realised he is at his best when singing about himself, and his experiences, with equal part humour and pathos. So too, musically, Weezer are most effective when the power chords are distilled Summer, and the solos are straight out of Ace Frehley's soul. That's not to say that Weezer are sticking to formula on this one; there are some surprises in the form of guest appearances, and a decidedly juicy heavy metal riff in 'Cleopatra' (as well as that song's chorus shift between 4/4 and 5/4). No, this is Weezer acknowledging their past by allowing it to shape their future. It's good to hear.