Despite its lyrics, which constantly point out the fact that the band is pushing 40, Weezer’s 2008 self-titled album (dubbed The Red Album for its cover art) takes a similar attitude to older Weezer albums: we may not be cool, but we’re individuals. The endearing geek-rock which made Weezer a success in the 90s returns in The Red Album, with hints of maturity and ironic machismo peppered throughout. The album is a refreshing renewal, as their 2005 album Make Believe was not the band’s best effort.
But while The Red Album has gems, it also has faults. This album marks Weezer’s departure from frontman Rivers Cuomo’s ideals; instead of him doing the songwriting and singing, the other band members try new things to varied success. The album also tries to experiment with different genres and styles, which also makes the album teeter unexpectedly. The perfect picture the aging rockers paint in the first half of The Red Album is ripped away in the second half and it leaves a listener feeling cheated.
Weezer Still Hip: Look at “Pork & Beans”
One prevalent theme Weezer puts forth in The Red Album is that of aging and maturing, something the band clearly refuses to do. In their first single, “Pork & Beans”, Cuomo says that he may need Rogaine, but he’s still going to do what he loves (“I’ma do the things that I want to do/I ain’t got a thing to prove to you”). The song itself is a satire of pop culture, especially when one sees the music video which references multiple popular Youtube artists.
The band takes aging in stride, funneling it into a mix of aggressiveness, nostalgia and acceptance. In the opening track, “Troublemaker”, Cuomo looks at his career as a rock star and his refusal to conform to rock star standards. The track is loud and in-your-face, with Cuomo satirizing even himself. The mostly-acoustic “Heart Songs” is a tribute to the bands that Cuomo grew up on; the song is a surprising look into Weezer’s influences, which range from Cat Stevens to Slayer. Finally, in “Dreamin’”, the band recognizes that they might not “get with your program”, but they still have responsibilities. “Dreamin’” is probably the best song on the CD; it’s a heartfelt, artistic piece that ties the album together.
Album Loses it After “Dreamin’”
The album first starts flailing on “Everybody Get Dangerous”. The song is static, with Cuomo singing tongue-in-cheek about being—of all things—a troublemaker. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s almost exactly the same thing he sang about on the first track, and the similarities don’t stop there. While the first part of the album is brilliant and well-refined, it seems to repeat itself over the second part, which is nothing short of annoying.
The main problem with The Red Album isn’t that some members of the band aren’t amazing at writing songs or that different styles simply don’t work for Weezer. Those problems are there, and any number of songs in the second half could be called out for said faults (although “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” does an amazing job of incorporating about 10 different genres into a single song). Although these 2 problems are prevalent, they pale in comparison to the fact that Weezer took a great idea and ran with it, but ran out of new places to go 20 minutes in. It’s not that The Red Album doesn’t have a good theme; it’s that the band only tackles it from limited perspectives.
The Red Album reverts back to geek-pop sung by 30-somethings, which is at the same time endearing and tiring. Weezer takes aging well, but the variation that they put into their song styles could have been put to better use in the way of lyrical content.
The Red Album was released Tuesday. Check out Weezer's website.
 |
