You know where this is going, right? Not great, not bad: a sorta recherchez de temp perdu looking through the ever weird Rivers Cuomo –the Kenny Chesney of rock’s, back pages for more songs about girls and rock groups. And maybe a touch better than that suggests.
So here we are with Weezer’s album number nine (number nine) Everything Will Be Alright in the End, and let’s rate em for you…
1. Pinkerton – A+
2. The Blue Album – A
3. Maladroit – B+
4. The Green Album – B
5. Everything Will Be Alright in the End – B (whoops gave away the ending)
6. The Red Album – B-
7. Make Believe – C+
8. Raditude – C-
9. Hurley – C-
So if you include the compilation Death To False Metal, the newbie fits right at the half way mark. be alright. I didn’t like either the self-servicing “Back to The Shack” and the been there done that “Cleopatra” though both improve in context. But it wears on you after a while and since it is visiting old ground and since “Lonely Girl” and “The British Are Coming” sound like Pinkerton also rans, I am gonna like them a lot. Also, Bethany Cosentino co-wrote “Go Away” –which lives up to its name and Patrick Stickles co-written “Foolish Father” , a very Weezerish and not at all Titussy track but not bad at all.
The rest of the album is a little slacker but how many “The British Are Coming” do you expect ? The very next song has a whistling hook and let’s be clear, unless your name is John Lennon and Macca is taking lead, don’t whistle.
The sound hasn’t grown up much, indeed they’ve never come close to the richness of Pinkerton so expecting them to get past the clanging guitar teenage earnestness they always seem to barter in. It is all very extended adolescence and all sort of getting over the past by reveling in it, but Rivers is hardly the only and not close to the biggest star with daddy issues (I bet Bethany has a couple). The melodies do get you there in the end… but it is a long trip to the end.
Now having registered my complaints, Everything Will Be Alright in the End might actually be catchier than I am giving it credit for. I’ve really sorta grown tired of the band and I don’t like waiting four years for crap albums, but this one could have been worse; extended childhoods could be their own rewards.
Grade: B
