.co.uk
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Early word on the sixth album from Weezer--and their third
self-titled record, although fans, sensibly, are referring to it
as 'The Red Album'--is that this is their 'experimental' record.
Luckily, Rivers Cuomo isnt interested in penning his own jazz
odyssey; for him, experimental is just finding cunning ways to
nuance Weezers stock-in-trade--crunchy, candy-sweet guitars and
vocal harmonies--with new pop tricks. The sardonic lyric of "Pork
and Beans" hints at a new direction: "Timabaland knows the way to
reach the top of the charts," Cuomo sings, "maybe if I work with
him I can perfect the art". Actually, Timbalands not on board,
but producer Jac Lee brings a variety of drum machines and
electronics, and Weezer rise to the challenge with some generally
inspired messing around. "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived
(Variations on a Shaker Theme)" sees Cuomo adopt a gangsta rap
slur over screaming sirens, while elsewhere, the other three
Weezer members take a turn at the microphone. But its Cuomos
songs that are the winners--notably "Heart Songs", a tribute to
the songs that "never feel wrong" that swoops from melodic
schmaltz to grunge scuzz with a deft invocation of Nirvana. Skip
to the bonus tracks, meanwhile, for a great cover of "The Weight"
that takes The Bands original and drenches it in chundering
guitars.--Louis Pattison
Review
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Weezer have been releasing records with varying commercial and
cult success for 14 years, and their latest offering The Red
Album is quintessentially theirs, but with a somewhat misguided
twist. The noticeable difference with this, their sixth effort,
is that it lacks a sense of coherency and direction, probably as
a result of frontman Rivers Cuomo relinquishing overall control
and making the creative process a free-for-all. This has worked
in places, but overall the tracks feel unfinished and distract
from the increased experimentation originally intended.
Like its predecessors there are that handful of truly amazing
power-pop tracks which demand you sit up and pay attention, or
dance around your room. Lead single Pork and Beans, alongside
Troublemaker and Everybody Get Dangerous exemplify Cuomo's
signature punchy cords and lyrics, drenched in satirical wit and
geeky bravado. Flanking these musical powerhouses are several
slow burners which benefit from a few listens. They are like a
pleasant country drive you're quite enjoying, until you realise
each hedgerow looks like the next and you are left wondering why
you got in the car in the first place.
The saving grace of this album is The Greatest Man That Ever
Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn), with a glorious mish-mash of
styles, ideas and genres that would sit most happily in an
obscure Swedish prog set. If this is the future of the aging
Weezer then the future is sounding good. That is if the band
concentrate more on this type of intensive diversity, and less on
the sort of mediocre meandering on the second half of the record.
An album easily dismissed on first listen, this is actually
better than you think. --Milly Lewis
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