Weezer, "Hurley" 09/07/2010
By Brendan Harte Gilsenan
✭✭ ½
Weezer fans document the band’s history into two eras: “Classic Line-up” Weezer and “Post-Pinkerton” Weezer. Post-Pinkerton begins with the band’s return from hiatus, and the release of their third album, and second self-titled, dubbed by fans The Green Album.
Although very successful, The Green Album was too generic. It missed the mark on the individuality and personality that had been a staple of Weezer’s first two releases. It may have been a good pop record, but The Green Album did not quite sound like the same old Weezer everyone had once known.
The band’s original bassist Matt Sharp, who left at the end of Weezer’s “classic” era, once said, “The one thing that is apparent about working with Rivers, that I’ve never experienced with anyone else, is that you really get a sense that he has an unlimited potential as a songwriter. That’s not supposed to be a touchy-feely, ass-kissing moment. I always felt that if his potential was ever fully realized, he would be considered in the upper echelon of melody based songwriters—like Brian Wilson or Paul McCartney.”
For years, album after album, Weezer’s fan base had been waiting for Rivers to get back on track with this description that so fittingly suited him during the band’s early years. Unfortunately, upon each release, no matter how good some of the songs may have been, it was never quite Weezer. The sound, the feeling that listeners fell in love with during the ‘90s was never quite recaptured.
Then came 2008’s The Red Album, and finally, finally we all had back the Weezer that had mysteriously disappeared at the turn of the century.
Songs like “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” and “Angel and the One” matched up with the best of the best from the band’s classic catalogue. The sound, the emotion, the feel; it was all there. This was the Weezer we had been waiting on to return (disregarding the three tracks written and sung by the other members of the band). Rivers was back in form. It had been worth the wait.
Then something changed.
What that something was is up for debate. Regardless, The Red Album’s follow up, Raditude, came out of left field to surprise and disappoint. Although there were aspects reminiscent of old Weezer, it was not a Weezer album. And that is where we are left with Hurley.
Having signed with indie-label Epitaph, Weezer had more creative control over their final product. Instead of letting the songs sit, boil, and overcook like they had for most of the 2000’s, the other members of the band did not learn the songs until Cuomo presented them in the studio, ready to be recorded. Although a better effort than Raditude, Hurley is still not a Weezer album in the sense that The Blue Album, Pinkerton, and The Red Album are. The Blue Album and Pinkerton are Weezer perfection from start to finish. At least half of The Red Album consists of songs that are Weezer perfection.
Hurley shows signs of the band that reemerged with 2008’s The Red Album, but is not quite a Weezer album in the same sense.
“Ruling Me”, with the personality of The Blue Album, and the perfected vocal melodies of The Green Album, is accompanied by a cringe worthy bridge. Others, such as lead single “Memories”, simply sound too bland.
“Brave New World” keeps up with the tradition over the last four albums of including at least one track that simply should never have been written.
“Smart Girls”, aside from “Ruling Me” sans the bridge, is the most Weezer-esque of the bunch. Cuomo’s runoff of feminine counterparts’ names is reminiscent of Pinkerton’s “Tired of Sex”.
Instrumentally, guest to the band over the past year and a half Josh Freese, while a very proficient drummer, is a bit too systematic for a Weezer album.
Some lyrics seem forced in order to finish the song and have missed out on the labor needed to find the right words.
In the end we are left with a fine record, nothing too special, nothing too detrimental. A fair amount, if not a majority, of this record is catchy and enjoyable. The disappointment lies with the fact that it is not the product of the elite songwriting that Cuomo proved in 2008 he is not completely out of touch with.
1. Memories
2. Ruling Me
3. Trainwrecks
4. Unspoken
5. Where’s My Sex?
6. Run Away
7. Hang On
8. Smart Girls
9. Brave New World
10. Times Flies
✭✭ ½
Weezer fans document the band’s history into two eras: “Classic Line-up” Weezer and “Post-Pinkerton” Weezer. Post-Pinkerton begins with the band’s return from hiatus, and the release of their third album, and second self-titled, dubbed by fans The Green Album.
Although very successful, The Green Album was too generic. It missed the mark on the individuality and personality that had been a staple of Weezer’s first two releases. It may have been a good pop record, but The Green Album did not quite sound like the same old Weezer everyone had once known.
The band’s original bassist Matt Sharp, who left at the end of Weezer’s “classic” era, once said, “The one thing that is apparent about working with Rivers, that I’ve never experienced with anyone else, is that you really get a sense that he has an unlimited potential as a songwriter. That’s not supposed to be a touchy-feely, ass-kissing moment. I always felt that if his potential was ever fully realized, he would be considered in the upper echelon of melody based songwriters—like Brian Wilson or Paul McCartney.”
For years, album after album, Weezer’s fan base had been waiting for Rivers to get back on track with this description that so fittingly suited him during the band’s early years. Unfortunately, upon each release, no matter how good some of the songs may have been, it was never quite Weezer. The sound, the feeling that listeners fell in love with during the ‘90s was never quite recaptured.
Then came 2008’s The Red Album, and finally, finally we all had back the Weezer that had mysteriously disappeared at the turn of the century.
Songs like “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” and “Angel and the One” matched up with the best of the best from the band’s classic catalogue. The sound, the emotion, the feel; it was all there. This was the Weezer we had been waiting on to return (disregarding the three tracks written and sung by the other members of the band). Rivers was back in form. It had been worth the wait.
Then something changed.
What that something was is up for debate. Regardless, The Red Album’s follow up, Raditude, came out of left field to surprise and disappoint. Although there were aspects reminiscent of old Weezer, it was not a Weezer album. And that is where we are left with Hurley.
Having signed with indie-label Epitaph, Weezer had more creative control over their final product. Instead of letting the songs sit, boil, and overcook like they had for most of the 2000’s, the other members of the band did not learn the songs until Cuomo presented them in the studio, ready to be recorded. Although a better effort than Raditude, Hurley is still not a Weezer album in the sense that The Blue Album, Pinkerton, and The Red Album are. The Blue Album and Pinkerton are Weezer perfection from start to finish. At least half of The Red Album consists of songs that are Weezer perfection.
Hurley shows signs of the band that reemerged with 2008’s The Red Album, but is not quite a Weezer album in the same sense.
“Ruling Me”, with the personality of The Blue Album, and the perfected vocal melodies of The Green Album, is accompanied by a cringe worthy bridge. Others, such as lead single “Memories”, simply sound too bland.
“Brave New World” keeps up with the tradition over the last four albums of including at least one track that simply should never have been written.
“Smart Girls”, aside from “Ruling Me” sans the bridge, is the most Weezer-esque of the bunch. Cuomo’s runoff of feminine counterparts’ names is reminiscent of Pinkerton’s “Tired of Sex”.
Instrumentally, guest to the band over the past year and a half Josh Freese, while a very proficient drummer, is a bit too systematic for a Weezer album.
Some lyrics seem forced in order to finish the song and have missed out on the labor needed to find the right words.
In the end we are left with a fine record, nothing too special, nothing too detrimental. A fair amount, if not a majority, of this record is catchy and enjoyable. The disappointment lies with the fact that it is not the product of the elite songwriting that Cuomo proved in 2008 he is not completely out of touch with.
1. Memories
2. Ruling Me
3. Trainwrecks
4. Unspoken
5. Where’s My Sex?
6. Run Away
7. Hang On
8. Smart Girls
9. Brave New World
10. Times Flies
