{grate 2.5} With an impressive set of indie-revered albums under their
collective sweater, you’d think it’d be stupid to question whether Weezer’s
honest alt-pop sound has found a successful niche in the industry. But
apparently the geeky foursome has used its sixth album (self-titled but
nicknamed The Red Album) as an opportunity to flaunt the group’s raw
nonconformity and combat past poor-review-rooted insecurities. Frontman Rivers
Cuomo uses his self-proclaimed awkwardness as an excuse to romp around the
album’s 10 tracks with loose musical indecision and a defensive ego, leaving
listeners with a choppy sound and an ironic intention that’s trying a little
too hard.
After Geffen Records asked Weezer to record more commercial
songs, the band busted out “Pork and Beans” — a catchy, rebellious tune paired
with eccentric guitar squeaks reminiscent of “El Scorcho.” Ultimately, Cuomo
decided to stay true to his identity (“Imma do the things that I wanna do/ I
ain’t got a thing to prove to you”), but his message is unconvincing — why else
would he brag about his unconventional diet (“I’ll eat my candy with the pork
and beans”) but to show he’s unique?
More experimental tracks include “The Greatest Man that Ever
Lived,” an epic journey that starts with a sweet, tinkling piano, adds cop-car
sirens and then samples from an all-you-can-eat buffet of genres, including
churchy choir choruses and heavy metal grunts. Cuomo’s intentionally
egotistical lyrics culminate with a cheesy interlude that puffs “If you don’t
like it/ you can shove it/ But you don’t like it/ You love it.” While the
song’s dynamic sound keeps you curious, its jazzed over-performance only
impresses in an overrated-amusement-park-ride sort of way.
Guitarist Brian Bell also steals a track with mediocre
serenading on “Thought I Knew,” — a shallow ditty that feels awkward and
misplaced against songs traditionally trademarked with Cuomo’s melodic voice.
While moments of The Red Album hint at the charming and
unpretentious Weezer of the past, whatever soul-searching these dudes have done
in their two-year hiatus has left their songs weirdly fragmented and empty.