Review Summary: Weezer is known for their great first and second albums. Their third and fourth albums are underrated and solid. But not much is going right for the band here.
I remained one of Weezer's bigger defenders through Maladroit, but Make Believe really has me questioning whether Weezer will ever be a relevant and exciting band again.
For those of you not familiar with Weezer's history, here is a rundown: Their first album was a massive hit with a combination of geeky charm and sunny guitar-rock hooks. Their second album was panned by fans and by critics after its release, but it gradually grew a following after time until it was considered a classic about five years after its release. Meanwhile, Weezer had been on the down-low, but decided to come out of their retirement in the wake of their growing legion of fans. The next album contained a few hits but was dismissed by some as a shallow. Similar criticism grew with their next album; people missed the charm, honesty, and quirk of the first two albums. I remained in the growing minority who appreciated Weezer's material and held high hopes for the coming release.
Unfortunately, Make Believe is a step in the wrong direction for the band. Blazing guitar hooks are less prominent than ever and the lyrics less inspired. From the perspective of Weezer's career, it falls flat; no song matches Dope Nose or Hash Pipe, let alone Buddy Holly or El Scorcho. Even giving the album a fair chance on its own, it doesn't really work. It's too polished to be good alt-rock, too whiny to be good pop, too bright to be good emo.
The best songs on the album are charming on the best of days and annoying on the worst of days. Beverly Hills has its creative moments and a winning chorus, but grows old quick. Self-consciousness and doubt about girls is a long-recurring theme with songwriter Rivers Cuomo, but when he approaches the topic in Perfect Situation, it just feels tired, in spite of the memorable soaring vocal riff. The best song on the album might be We Are All on Drugs, which rocks hard and shows actual thought on the part of the band.
Weezer displays a new approach and sound on this album that really has the potential to work. I would embrace this polished, new-wave feel if only they could write good songs to go along with it. But nearly every track is a snoozer, and so the album and the sound come across as snoozers, too.
