WEEZER 'The Green Album'
CD review

Where the hell have Weezer been all this time? Come on, you can't just disappear for five years and then suddenly come back with a new album from out of nowhere. Now Ok, I don't really read the music press anymore but I thought I would have heard something from somebody about this comeback.

I only found out about their comeback after stumbling across dates for their Shepherds Bush Empire gigs, where I thought they'd just run through some of the old stuff and try to make it back. But then visiting play247 one day I found a new album up for pre-order.

I could hardly believe it; it wasn't long ago that whilst listening to their classic first album I found myself asking, "Just what happened to Weezer? I wonder if they'll ever make a new album?" Well whaddya know…they have!

I couldn't help but feel a little suspicious though; I think they've released this album the right way by not causing a fuss and trying to make this epic, but ultimately anti-climactic Stone Roses-esque comeback; but by just releasing a new album like nothing had ever happened.

I am left wondering however who's decision it was to try and make them look like the old Weezer we knew and loved? This is obvious from their appearance and the design of the album. I admire the fact that it's not been titled, and that ignoring the specifics it's the same look and design of the first album, the one colour background, the shot of the band on the front. But why have they chosen to do this now? If 'Pinkerton' had been done the same way it would have been amazing, to knock out every album looking the same but with different photos and background colours, but 'Pinkerton' wasn't like that…so are they trying to ignore that album I wonder, to pretend that they never made it, that it wasn't actually part of Weezer?

But then again, looking at all three albums now there is a sort of recurring theme of progression in the inlay photographs. The first album sees the picture of their humble beginnings…the garage practice room, then in 'Pinkerton' we move along to the band in the recording studio; and finally we have a shot from an epic looking gig of '70s Kiss proportions.

But who the hell am I to make these assumptions? It's a new album from Weezer! Something we've all been waiting to happen for so long. And the result isn't too bad at all.

The album is a snappy 28 minutes long (or is that short?), made up of 10 fairly standard power pop melodies. I don't think that 'Don't Let Go' was the best choice for opening track, I downloaded this one just after pre-ordering to see what they were like after 5 years away; I wasn't too impressed. Nothing really stands out, it has your standard 2:4 beat all the way through, and never really gets anywhere.

The majority of this album sounds more like their first than it does Pinkerton, all 50s type melodies and tunes. Songs such as 'Photograph', 'Knock Down Drag Out' and 'Simple Pages' (my personal favourite) all carry that 50s style happy happy joy joy hand clapping foot-tapping kind of tune that makes great background music for reading comics to or, er, doing the washing up *shrug*.

So it's all pretty much the same. Tracks like 'Island In The Sun' defer a little from the rest of the album; with laid back lounge room guitars, reminiscent of 'Say It Ain't So', and lyrics like "We'll run away together, we'll spend some time forever, we'll never feel bad anymore", naïve hope of the first album, or ironic optimism of the second; perhaps a new open honesty of the new Weezer?

Maybe I keep referring back to the first album too many times here, which I really shouldn't be doing, but it's hard not to taking their current image, song structure and CD packaging into account. 'Hash Pipe' is a little darker and reminds me of 'Pinkerton' a little, but this is as moody as it gets. Which is a good thing in a way, because let's face it, nobody's going to buy a Weezer album when they're after some good brooding music.

Nothing new or adventurous is really tried here though. At least with 'Pinkerton' they went a little more lo-fi, a little rawer than the first polished affair. But this album isn't what you'd expect after five years of being away.

Maybe this whole album is wrapped in irony? I can't tell, I think I need a lyric sheet in front of me. The whole back to basics thing, the pop structure, the fact that every guitar solo during the middle eights follow the tune of the vocals during the verses (as used by Kurt and praised by Juliana Hatfield). Personally I'm a big fan of that style, it has more relevance to the song that just twiddling out some random scales.

To be honest, there isn't anything wrong with this album, it should all work as pop structures and harmonies and handclaps…that's Weezer, but something just doesn't work. Maybe after being away for so long, and now having a new bassist they wanted to play it safe and re-introduce people to Weezer then maybe hit us with something a little different next year. Either way it's something to look forward to; as long as they haven't employed the services of a DJ everything should be fine.

6/10

david twomey

Got something to add or comment on?
Click here to discuss it in the eyemachine reviews forum.