Review Summary: A strong return to form with a mix of Blue, Green and Pinkerton, without a doubt their best record in a decade.
Don’t call it a comeback, but merely a return to form. At a time when so many early 90s stars are ruining their reputation with every passing moment (Green Day, the Offspring, etc.) Weezer lives up to the hype with their 9th studio album Everything Will Be Alright in the End. The name is very appropriate, as fans have longed for the day Weezer returns to its roots. Produced by former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, the album has the sonic feel of The Green Album while keeping the raw edginess of Pinkerton. Rivers Cuomo’s voice seems to have regained some of its luster after four sub-par albums over the last decade.
What is odd is that the lead single “Back to the Shack” may just be the weakest song off the album. The self-reflective rocker loses its gimmick after the first few listens and then just sounds like an over-amplified “Sweater Song”. There are a few misses on the album, Rivers sings a duet on “Go Away” which is really the only track that sounds like their last few albums. The album carries a theme of relationships, and finality to it that carries on throughout the track list. Particular tracks of note are “Eulogy for a Rock Band”, “Da Vinci” and “The British Are Coming”.
For those of you who don’t know, Weezer’s last album Hurley released in 2010 bombed in the charts and was widely panned by critics. Many Weezer die-hards often regard the bands best years as the early 90s when they produced The Blue Album and Pinkerton before Weezer’s eventual hiatus.
Even after the first listen, the album seems to sound better as a whole rather than simply listening to individual songs. Weezer even throws in a three-part suite as the coda of the album, “The Futurescope Trilogy”. It’s a hard rocker that even includes some long, segued instrumental sections.
Overall, the band as a whole seems reinvigorated with a new sense of purpose as well as a new base of fans thanks to the terrific marketing done for the album. Whether you’re a dedicated Weezer-adict or simply a casual fan who only knows “Buddy Holly”, Everything Will be Alright in the End is a great modern-day rock album with the flare to match it.
