The Falcon (Seattle Pacific University)

May 31, 2001

Weezer Finally Returns

By Joel Hartse, The Falcon

It's been about six years since Weezer released an album, and you can't blame them. After their self-titled debut went multiplatinum, the band's second album, "Pinkerton," alienated fans and critics alike with its raw sound and ultra-personal lyrics. The disappointed crowds who had been longing for more falsetto sing-alongs and slick pop songs abandoned Weezer like the band was going out of style -- which it was.

After years of rumors, Weezer has finally resurfaced with the record everyone was expecting them to make in 1996. If the success and strength of their debut is a measuring stick, the band did everything right this time. Ric Ocasek (former frontman of power pop legends The Cars) is again the producer, the album is short and sweet (10 songs, just like the debut), self-titled (like the debut), features the band in front of a plain colored background (same again), and is full of polished pop gems. It's almost as though "Pinkerton" never happened.

And if you ignore their sophomore "mistake," the new album seems like a step in the right direction for Weezer. Rivers Cuomo continues to make the case for himself as the American Lennon and McCartney (combined), writing almost unbelievably perfect melodies and harmonies on tunes like the infectious (seriously, my roommate will not stop singing it) "Island in the Sun" and "Smile." Even the harder-edged single "Hash Pipe" has an annoyingly catchy melody, although its subject matter (transvestite prostitutes) seems a little strange compared to the rest of the album's lyrical themes (love, lost love, having fun).

"The Green Album" is 10 of the most perfectly crafted pop songs that have ever been released, but the energy and creativity that Cuomo has proven he is capable of on "Pinkerton" is simply not present. His lyrics have gone from personal to vague, and with Ocasek at the helm, the raw power of the self-produced "Pinkerton" is overcome by pop sensibilities. Rivers Cuomo is still a songwriting genius, but we know he can do better.