Weezer's Latest Release - Everything Will Be Alright In the End

This is my first attempt ever at a slightly cohesive and concise music review, so have at me and tear it to shreds!

Though I’m a fan of Weezer from way back and grew up on the Blue and Green albums, loved half of Pinkerton, and enjoyed some tracks off of Red, I really didn't like this one at first listen but grew a bit on me after more listens.

Maybe my music tastes have changed and I just can’t do new content any more from a band that I’ve known for a while (much like the latest 2012 Offspring album). However, it does seem like they’re done with the B.o.B. appearances and back to trying to make magic with just the essentials. I did like the instrumental noodling in the trilogy at the end of the album (Wasteland, Anonymous, Return to Ithaka) and can tolerate and rock to “Back to the Shack”. Yet most of the album still sounded like a forced attempt to return back to the the ‘94-’01 era with less originality and authenticity. Solid riffs, some very nice solos, but regular typical songwriting where nothing that jumps out at you and makes you more prone to turn it off. Nothing that would scream “yes! I wanna rock out to this on a roadtrip!”.

I don’t really get why “The British are Coming” is a song - a history lesson concept song? Or maybe that’s just because I’m extremely partial to The National’s “Mr. November” verse. Also, "Cleopatra" is intensely annoying song, whoever thought that would be a good chorus? I doubt I’ll be including any song off this album in my playlist anytime, but it’s still reasonable I guess if they want to keep making music. It’s always hard to hear new material from bands that you grew up with; it never matches up. Perhaps they tried to come back to their sound with a couple extra things here and there, but why would I listen to this when I can rock out to Blue along with all its sweet sweet nostalgic memories? The ending to their song off this album, “Eulogy for a Rock Band,” is pretty much how I feel about it: “we will sing the melodies that you did long ago.” Because I know I will still be blasting El Scorcho, Buddy Holly, and Undone for years to come. But this one, eh.