Jas N's Guide to Weezer's new album

The other day I went to Criminal Records and started yakkin with the guys behind the counter about new records. We were all praisin the new Pete Yorn album and the new Dolly Parton. Then I asked "Have you heard the new Weezer?" They both sorta look at each other in that "Should we tell him?" kinda way and one of 'em says "Yeah, um...it's kinda on the short side."

Musically I have no complaints with this album. It is a good record. I like almost all the songs, the lyrics are fun as ever and I dig Rivers Cumo's singing. "Don't Let Go" sounds like it is straight off of the first record. It is a very Weezer song, in fact for the most part this album feels like a follow-up to the first album. "Photograph" feels a lot like "In the Garage," the song "Island in the Sun" is a good song, "Crab" is good, "Knockdown Drag Out" is a great song, "Simple Pages" is good, and "Glorious Days" is as good as anything they've done. This album has lots of "whoah-whoah" and "oooh yeah," but I always loved that stuff anyway. If anything this album sounds too familiar, but that's ok because this is only the third album they've done.

"Hashpipe" is the only one that seems at all un-Weezer, but after I listened to it a couple of times I began to feel it. It's not as bad a song as I originally thought it was. It's just a plain old power-chord/alt-rock song. I don't really care for the video, it's just ok. It ain't no "Undone" or "Buddy Holly." The song is just ok, but it'll get the boys some radio play.

When I was in Athens for the Gradaddy show every guy I talked to before the show would tell me how they hated Weezer now. That town is out for some Weezer blood over this thing. Even Mr. Jensen was doggin this album. Overall, I think I would be quite happy with this album if it had come out six months after Pinkerton, but now it feels like they spent a weekend in the studio just to put something out.

See, here's the problem. It took five years for them to put out this "album." The Spice Girls got popular, put out two albums, made a movie, lost a member, put out an EP, released another album and completely disappeared in the same amount of time it took Weezer to make a 28 minute record. It sounds great, but where's the rest of it? By the time it gets going and I'm rocking along...it's over. This is probably the most expensive EP I've ever had. After waiting all this time, I just sorta feel let down, like when I found out "Ginger" was just a scooter.