Review Summary: Rivers Cuomo ones again proves he is consistent: at being inconsistent.
Rivers Cuomo has proven two things consistently over his sixteen year career as the lead singer/songwriter of the post grunge band Weezer. Firstly, he will always be able to write the catchy pop rock song (see My Name is Jonas, Buddy Holly, Dope Nose, now Pork and Beans). Secondly, He will always be frustratingly inconsistent to his fan base while doing so.
In Cuomo and bands latest album, The Red Album, a new moustache clad Cuomo once again reinvents the ever changing universe which is that of Weezer, letting his band mates in on songwriting and experimenting with various vocal and choral harmonies. From refined composing like baroque counterpoint to southern rap featuring blaring police sirens, the once shy and reserved star now displays the attitude that should have been prevalent in 1994, instead of staring off into space.
From the very beginning, we are treated to Troublemaker: a simple, yet ear catching tune that thrusts the listener into Cuomo’s post Make Believe world. With two chords we are exposed to his admittance of never being able to hold a normal job after his years of musicianship, and how stupid books sometimes can be, and how the world wants to know his sexual endeavors. After the major commercial success of Make Believe, the first album of Weezer to have two #1 singles, Cuomo humorously illustrates and pokes fun at the stardom that came with it, signaling a possible agreement with his fans who disliked the album. Greatest Man, is next, the masterpiece of the album. It incorporates styles from age old vocal harmonies to the Weezer standard, heavily distorted power chords with a thick, rich bass. Rivers continues telling us about how great he is, and the only way to enjoy another track of that is to enjoy the musicianship that accompanies him. The words should be generally disregarded in that sense, as they prove no real meaning, simply keeping an instrumental label off the track, although a falsetto ballad is a treat.
Pork and Beans, Cuomo’s reaction to a meeting with Geffen, takes a jab at the music industry, and maybe the fan base that has been clamoring for a return to Blue form. “They say I need some Rogaine to put in my hair…work it out at the gym to fit my underwear”, a response to various request Geffen had of the aging, yet capable star. The songs starts with a catchy guitar riff leading into a signature Weezer chorus, one filled with blaring overdrive and highlighted by Shriners thick, yet melodic bass lines. The song features no guitar solo, strangely enough, the only Weezer hit of this magnitude to do so. Heart Songs is Cuomo’s ode to his most sacred musical influences wound into semi acoustic ballad form, with a excellent key change featuring homage to Nirvana’s Nevermind, one of Cuomo’s earliest influences. Everybody Get Dangerous recounts his youthful excursions like driving to fast and almost killing his friends, burning road kill, and Cuomo not partaking in cow tipping because he “didn’t want the cows to be sad”. The song features an up-tempo riff and a chorus to dance to, and is another one of the solid, but not great rock songs the seem to define Weezer more than any of the hits. Dreamin’ is the prototypical Weezer single, with those catchy power riffs and “The Dream Sequence”, a break in the song sung mainly by Brian Bell. It is enjoyable, but ages quickly.
As we venture into the songs written by the other members, Thought I Knew (Brian Bell), is a surprisingly catchy rock tune. It features his vocals, more high pitched than Cuomo, and serve as a decent refresher after six other songs. The song immediately hit’s the listener with its major key intro, and then we venture into a sadder, albeit foot tapping, chorus featuring an all to familiar lesson to lovers. Followed by Cold Dark World (Scott Shriner), we stay into a darker place which nearly evokes tribal senses. Shriner too has a more than feasible singing voice and suit’s the creation well. Automatic (Patrick Wilson), is not his first song writing credit (The World Has Turned and Left Me Here, Surf Wax America, My Name is Jonas, Paperface) and shows off his songwriting ability. Again, his voice serves as original from the rest, not to mention a well writing song, and some above average guitaring from the long time drummer. The chorus features a bit of synth and almost a techno feel, but there still is that signature Weezer sound. Angel and the One is a Cuomo end-of-the-record song, if there ever was one, jumping to the likes of (barely) Only in Dreams and Butterfly. It is a beautiful song, with Cuomo singing to some dejected individual in his life, explaining he cannot be the one they can believe in. It is hauntingly beautiful, and serves as a solid end to just that: a solid, not great, record.
In the end, Red serves as a solid, enjoyable record. It features pieces of vintage Cuomo (Pork and Beans, Dreamin’), and new more intuitive ideas. Sadly, some of the fans still clamor for return to blue, and until they realize that that is seemingly impossible, ever changing Weezer will be panned for eternity. Cuomo writes from his internal feelings always, and derives from his state of personal being. When writing Blue he had no idea how to be a rock star, never expecting fully how large he could become. By the time Pinkerton rolled around, he already hated it and poured all his hatred into the album. After its initial failure, he took a half decade hiatus, and came with Green and so on. Return to Blue form is highly unlikely and nearly unnecessary. Cuomo writes as he evolves, a hidden treat given to the listener every three years to see into his mind. “Imma do the things I want to do…I ain’t got a thing to prove to you…” and after 16 charted songs including three number ones…does he?
