Weezer
was
disparaged from all corners when their 1994
debut became a hit. Hipsters and critics
hated their raucous, melodic, Pixies-meets-metal
geek-pop and the group's clever Spike Jonze-directed
videos, proclaiming them as charlatans on
the order of Stone Temple Pilots. Time has
been kind to Weezer, since they not only
turned out a second album that was (no joke)
a masterpiece, they wound up being as influential
on the emo scene as the purer Sunny Day
Real Estate. To top it off, Weezer stands
the test of time, standing as one of the
great records of the post-grunge era. It's
not as good or personal as Pinkerton, but
this is a debut and it's a hell of a debut,
too, capturing Rivers Cuomo's skills for
effortlessly catchy, bone-crunching alt-pop,
best heard on singles like "Buddy Holly,"
"Undone — The Sweater Song," and "Say
It Ain't So," but much of the album is at
a similar level excellence. Also, there's
something utterly charming about his sensibility
and the band itself, who play with spirit,
chiming in with tag-team harmonies. This,
as much as grunge itself, is the music of
outsiders. Specifically, it's the music
of geeks, smart kids that loved comics,
books, TV, metal, and girls, but were too
afraid to talk to them directly. This spirit
is what gave Weezer its character and it's
the reason why the group remains beloved
by a band of outsiders, years after this
scaled to the top of the charts.
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Blue Album 