Weezer - SZNZ: Spring

Coming on the heels of a creative outburst during the Covid pandemic, and the release of two full albums to critical success in 2021 (OK Human & Van Weezer), the power pop princes are trying another ambitious set of releases.  The theme is seasons.  Each new season for 2022-23 we will get a new EP.  The first release was seven songs on SZNZ: Spring that came out on March 20.  An eighth song, "Across the Meadow" is on the vinyl version.  Knowing the theme, I predicted correctly that this would be a sugary sweet pop record.  Fortunately, there is some distorted guitar that was absent on OK Human.  The song writing is not quite as bad as the flop that was Pacific Daydream.  Overall, I'm not impressed though.  From the cringy lyrics of "Opening Night" to the near voice cracking falsetto in "Angels on Vacation," this is not their best work.  I'm also not usually critical of mixes, but this one seems to have vocals very forward, and everything else falling back with drums being really thin sounding throughout.  Ironically, a song called "The Sound of Drums" doesn't even feature the instrument.

The highlight is definitely the single, "A Little Bit of Love."  You can see the lyric video with some animations here.  The simple romanticism of "Garden of Eden" is cute too, if you are in the mood for that kind of thing.  I rate Spring 3/5 stars.  If you are a fan of Weezer's poppier stuff, you likely would enjoy this EP.  Rivers said, “Spring is kind of like happy chill . . . and then we move through to dance rock, like a Strokes-style album for the fall.”  That sounds more up my alley so I'll look forward to the September release.  Winter is likely to be a slower, more acoustic sad record.  Summer is a toss up.  If it sounds more like "Island in the Sun" and "LA Girls" than "Feels Like Summer" we will be in good shape.

Weezer has just celebrated their 30th year as a band in February, and the 30th anniversary of their first show one day before SZNS came out!  The latter two thirds has been with a consistent lineup.  At least twice during that run it looked like Rivers didn't want to continue the band.  Now they are showing no signs of slowing down and he said on their social media they are "nowhere near the end of our story."  While it has been a bit of a roller coaster in terms of musical style since Scott joined, I'm here for the ride.

Van Weezer: A throwback

Van Weezer is the latest release from Weezer who has been pumping out the alternative rock since 1994.  This is being called their 15th studio album which apparently doesn't include Death to False Metal which was a compilation, but still was a studio album of newly released tracks.  Thanks to the pandemic, Van Weezer comes out the same year as OK Human which for some reason came out sooner even though this album was mastered first.  Weezer fans from any era in their catalogue should find some new songs to latch on to in this one.

End of the Game: Reminiscent of Maladroit Weezer 15-20 years ago, this was the first single released way back in September 2019.  It is one of the better tracks on the album that most Weezer fans will appreciate.

All of the Good Ones: An ode to an earlier, simpler time, this could easily have fit on the Red Album.  There's not much substance here and neither the girl or the good times are specifically named.

Hero: Reminiscent again of Red Album Weezer with a marching beat and short verse lines that tell a story.  The video is a creative one that was released to pay homage to frontline workers in the pandemic.  The chorus is an earworm more about being a loner and an outcast, which is classic Rivers.

I Need Some of That: Claps in the verses and a sing-along chorus with simple pop-rock melody reminiscent of Green album.  This is the newest single, and a fun little track.

Beginning of the End: Introspective lyrics over a pop-rock track with a driving rhythm.  A surprising guitar solo perks the ear two thirds of the way through the song.  This could easily have fit on Make Believe.

Blue Dream: Unapologetically samples the guitar riffs to Ozzy's Crazy Train but takes a left turn with quirky lyrics about octopus and rejection.  It's like Teal album mixed with White album. This is one of the most unique songs on the album and the effects to evoke sounds of being under water are cool.  I just can't love this song as much as I would like to.

1 More Hit: An unusual song about hardcore drugs.  It's weird and awkward like some of the songs on Hurley and Raditude.  The lyrics "pump it up, please daddy" are kind of creepy.  The guitar parts are dark and get darker in the solo.  Then there is a key change which brings the song back up again, reinforced by falsetto from Rivers.  Odd song again that I would like to love more.

Sheila Can Do It: This song was reworked from the original version written in 1996.  It definitely has that old school Weezer sound closest to the Blue album, and has one of the most catchy choruses.

She Needs Me: A slower tempo to start as Rivers sings about getting a jar of peanut butter from a girl picks up tempo and turns to a celebration of a relationship.  It's not as emo as some songs Pinkerton, but I could see it fit in there.

Precious Metal Girl: Ironic title for an acoustic ballad.  Rivers seems to like to end albums with these lighter songs.  This song mentions leather jackets and Faster Pussycat, but it is a simple pop song.

All in all, 10 songs in 31 minutes which harkens back to the early album formula.  In just a few days I've already listened to it several times all the way through.  I certainly appreciate the return to upbeat alternative rock songs which I vastly prefer to the straight pop of Pacific Daydream, Teal Album, Black Album, and OK Human.  For me, this is the best thing they've done since 2016's White album and renews my faith that Weezer can still make fun music.  I give it 6.5/10

My Crazy Eyes see Dust on the White Album and the Electric Warlock Gores Metal Resistance with a Satanic Orgy

New Rock Release Reviews - May 2016

Weezer - Weezer ("white album")
There have been a lot of varied opinions about Weezer's last several albums.  I for one have always been a fan and have been able to enjoy every album from start to finish except their previous Everything Will Be Alright in the End.  The white album I think has a little bit of old and new Weezer style.  It has an overall pop feel, but there are some deeper themes and lyrics than a typical pop rock record.  Each listen reveals another favorite line or hidden nugget.
Highlights include: King of the World, Wind in Our Sail, Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori

Babymetal - Metal Resistance
This is another band that has had its critics, but the debut album set fire to the metal community and this sophomore effort has established that Babymetal are for real.  The musicianship is superb and, as an album, it rocks even harder than the self-titled.  We still have J-pop style lead and background vocals, but there is some more melodic singing on songs such as Karate.  Awadama Fever sounds like it could be a Slipknot song except for the teen girl voice of "Su-metal" singing over it.  It is unconventional, but this juxtaposition works for me.  Give it a shot.

Deftones - Gore
Deftones refuse to conform to anybody's idea of what they should sound like except their own.  Their experimentation has cost them fans along the way and certainly more notoriety.  Gore sounds like a return to form, IMO, in the best possible way.  Without repeating their nu-metal or ambient sounds on previous works, they seem to blend them together nicely while still being hard rock enough for me to listen to this album all the way through. They're back!

Highlights include: Doomed User, Pittur Infamante, Prayers/Triangles, Gore

Rob Zombie - The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser
On one hand, it's got what you'd expect from Rob.  There's lots of sound samples and interludes.  There's the industrial heaviness.  There's the offbeat, unconventional song titles and subject areas.  On the other hand, I think this album builds off of what Hellbilly Deluxe 2 and Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor did in terms of having a unique identity and coming together as a complete album.
Highlights include: Medication for the Melancholy (Fast, driving beat and metal riffs), Well, Everybody's Fucking in a U.F.O. (a headbanger with a party vibe)

Tremonti - Dust
Following up All I Was and Cauterize, Tremonti continues to impress with his ability to sing as well has crank out the rock riffs.  This guy is establishing himself as one of the most talented and maybe most important guitarists of our time.  While writing and touring extensively for his solo work and then reportedly creating a new album with Alter Bridge, I wonder how Tremonti has enough time to kick as much ass as he does.
Highlights include: The Cage, Betray Me, Catching Fire

Filter - Crazy Eyes
Filter is one of the most underrated rock bands, hands down.  If the last song of theirs you remember is Take a Picture, I encourage you to delve into their catalogue.  This album is a concerted effort to return to Richard Patrick's industrial roots from his NIN days. Album opener, Mother E, takes you on a journey through the mind of a tortured soul with scream-along lyrics and a beat that if you don't bang your head to when you hear it, we probably can't be friends.  Pride Flag is a faster paced anthem with rocking guitar work.  The bass lines and the solo work here are impressive and heart-pumping.  Your Bullets is a fun one to bounce and sing to.  These songs will be great additions to the live set!