By Jason Boxer
Managing Web Editor
Weezer album reviews are all the same. They are either an oversimplification of the band’s career, a list of complaints about how principal songwriter Rivers Cuomo is past his prime or an eager pegging of their latest work as a long-awaited “return to form.” However, Weezer’s newest release, “Hurley,” is none of those things.
If Weezer weren’t relentlessly plagued by their reputation for jumping the shark, “Hurley” could be regarded as one of the better releases of 2010. It isn’t going to take the musical world by storm, but it is simply something to listen to while we wait for the next big thing.
Weezer’s first two albums, 1994’s “Weezer” (The Blue Album) and 1996’s “Pinkerton,” will live on as two of modern rock’s timeless classics. These records are endearingly honest, irresistibly catchy and refreshingly simple collections of songs. Songs like “Buddy Holly,” “Only in Dreams,” and “The Good Life” are nothing short of incredible.
The legacy of these two records has, in a way, haunted Weezer ever since the late ‘90s. Every one of their subsequent releases has failed to satisfy nearly all of their biggest fans and critics.
With an unbiased perspective on Weezer’s recent career, “Hurley” is a fine album. It is by no means perfect, or anywhere close to it, but it is worthy of a listen. Certainly the album artwork is worth your time.
Cuomo seems to be able to churn out at least one infectious, crunchy, pop rock song every time Weezer releases an album, and “Memories” (track one) satisfies his quota this time around. “Memories” achieves what post-1996 Weezer does best: getting stuck in your head.
“All My Friends Are Insects” is the best song on the album. It was written for the delightfully strange Nick Jr. television show “Yo Gabba Gabba,” and the band recently performed it on the show wearing goofy, over-sized bug costumes.
“Ruling Me,” the album’s second song, is very representative of “Hurley” as a whole. Guitarist Brian Bell and bassist Scott Shriner provide some soaring backing vocals while chugging away at a wall of chords. Cuomo’s vocals are bratty, raw, and intentionally imperfect. The lyrics are enjoyable, but forgettable.
“Ruling Me” has a chorus that you will almost certainly find yourself humming once you hear it. You won’t connect to this song on a deeply emotional level, but you won’t be able to stop yourself from singing along.
“Unspoken” is a considerable curveball at track four. The song almost sounds like a demo as it begins, with a straining Cuomo working hard to hit his notes. It then takes an abrupt turn at the two minute mark, when the flute and acoustic guitar accompanying Cuomo’s vocals disappear.
The musical equivalent to a triple back flip comes immediately after: drummer Pat Wilson lets loose and attacks his instrument, and an explosion of electric guitar bombards listeners for the song’s final 60 seconds.
Weezer’s ridiculous sense of humor brings us “Where’s My Sex?” next. Actually, Cuomo wrote the song about socks, and then replaced every lyric to “sex.” It is one thing for Weezer to take their work lightly, but it is quite another to write childish music.
This uncomfortable song stumbles into an awful bridge, and then face-plants back into its own embarrassingly immature chorus in the closing minute. The track rounds off with the sound of an early ‘90s Weezer fan jumping off a cliff.
Other note-worthy songs include “Hang On” (featuring typecast nerd actor and uber Weezer fan Michael Cera on the mandolin) and “Viva la Vida,” a live cover of the recent Coldplay hit.
“Hurley” isn’t a “Pinkerton.” It won’t have a legacy. It won’t influence a new musical era. It probably won’t even be important in 10 years.
At the same time, this isn’t a forgettable record. There are redeeming qualities to “Hurley” that Weezer fans should appreciate and enjoy.
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