Weezer Finally Returns to Form

The year is 1994, and “Weezer,” one of the most iconic albums of the 1990s, has just been released. Also known as “The Blue Album,” “Weezer” was inspired by the personal experiences of the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band, Rivers Cuomo.  Musically, “The Blue Album” was characterized by distinctive mellow moods that built into angstier metallic refrains as well as its indie flair. Still, there is no doubt that what truly made the album such a commercial success was Cuomo’s ability to relate a unique persona to his audience. The character of a geeky teenage misfit battling life, lost in the mindlessness of California, combined with the musical blend of mellow and metal is what established Weezer as a unique, alternative rock band of its time. But on Weezer’s second album, “Pinkerton,” Cuomo no longer wrote songs about being a geeky misfit, but rather about falling in love with Harvard girls and Asian fangirls. Though “Pinkerton” was met with some critical acclaim, its thematic inaccessibility made it a commercial failure. Feeling pressure to adapt his sound to the changing musical trends, Cuomo changed the band’s direction, shifting Weezer’s musical style towards pop and away from the beloved indie alternative rock band that Weezer was.

But on Weezer’s latest album, “Everything Will Be Alright in the End,” Cuomo chooses to return to his pre-“Pinkerton” sound, even bringing back producer Ric Ocasek, who also produced the band’s debut. Though there are still some songs on the new album that resemble Weezer’s poppier sound, such as “Go Away,” the album generally harkens back to Weezer’s old style. On “Back to the Shack,” Cuomo addresses this reversion directly, apologizing to his fans, “Sorry guys, I didn’t realize that I needed you so much. / I thought I’d get a new audience. I forgot that disco sucked. / I ended up with nobody and I started feeling dumb.” The song is the story of Cuomo’s own career and his erroneous venture away from his initial style that felt so natural on “The Blue Album.”

Yet, no song on the album better portrays Cuomo’s desire to bring back alternative rock than “The British Are Coming.” The track begins with a speech that emphasizes a duty to return to their earlier sound: “Welcome to the first-level literati. Our mission is to keep the tradition alive. It’s up to us. It’s our responsibility. Who else is going to do it?” A ringing clock tower and army drumming in “The British Are Coming” and a female voice in “Da Vinci” are very reminiscent of the signature background conversation throughout 1994’s “Undone – The Sweater Song.” But here, Cuomo’s usage of background noise seems to be an afterthought rather than the focus of the track. Whereas in “Undone – The Sweater Song,” the conversation is cleverly woven into the song, these two recent tracks use them merely as openers to the track.

“Da Vinci” also captures Weezer’s traditional blend of mellow rock and metal, making it one of the most memorable tracks on “Everything Will Be Alright in the End.” But despite the general direction towards their earlier sound, Weezer still explores unfamiliar territory. Deviating from the band’s traditional formula, “Da Vinci” introduces a more peppy and happy tone before progressing into the angstier, metal refrain.

Still, “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” is by no means as good as Weezer’s debut. The themes of Weezer’s new album revolve around apologies to Cuomo’s fans for succumbing to mainstream pop and promising to repopularize rock. Yet what made “The Blue Album” so successful was not purely its musical attributes but also its unique thematic character, which not only set it apart from other alternative rock bands of the time, but also resonated among the masses, leading to its popularity.

This relatable character is missing from Weezer’s latest, with the sole exception of “Foolish Father,” a touching song about forgiveness. “Foolish Father” provides a reason to believe that Weezer has found its new edge; the concept of a father asking for forgiveness from his daughter is something that the world can relate to. Perhaps it is true that Cuomo can no longer write about being a geeky teenage misfit because the truth is, he is no longer that lost kid he was back in 1994. However, this does not mean that Cuomo as an artist has nothing left to give. “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” is Cuomo’s attempt to redefine not only Weezer but also who he is and what he has to say.