Music review: Weezer – ‘White Album’
鈥淎n infectious combination of catchy melodies and rock breakdowns鈥� is the way my fellow co-worker and longtime Weezer fan Liz Wilson describes the alt-rock quartet鈥檚 latest effort. Weezer鈥檚 10th studio release and fourth self-titled album possessing a color theme serves as a spirited follow-up to 2014鈥檚 鈥淓verything Will Be Alright in the End.鈥�
Lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Rivers Cuomo finds lyrical inspiration in an airy beach album that examines the eclectic elements of the Los Angeles landscape. By carefully extracting successful ingredients from Weezer鈥檚 debut release and 1996鈥檚 鈥淧inkerton,鈥� Cuomo playfully channels Brian Wilson depicting the colorful Golden State lifestyle while delivering the perfect summer soundtrack.
鈥淐alifornia Kids鈥� opens by initiating a warm reception with Cuomo reassuringly singing, 鈥淚t鈥檚 gonna be alright/If you鈥檙e on a sinking ship/The California Kids will throw you a lifeline.鈥�
This sing-out-loud number features Cuomo sounding like a teenager with no worries, no place to be and in no rush to get there through his innocent and nostalgic vocals.
鈥淲ind in Our Sails鈥� carries the optimism of a budding romance when the world is at your feet and new adventures await to be experienced.
鈥淭hank God for Girls鈥� finds Cuomo delivering a whimsical musing about the glorious wonders of women. My co-worker emphasizes that this offering is the most unique song on the album.
She goes on to say that it鈥檚 so weird, but it鈥檚 so Weezer and that鈥檚 why we love them.
鈥淜ing of the World鈥� serves as a straightforward pop song describing the desire to valiantly always be there for your partner with Cuomo confidently announcing, 鈥淲e are the small fish/We swim together/No Prozac or Valium/We鈥檒l face tsunamis together.鈥�
While the Beach Boys offered 鈥淐alifornia Girls鈥� to describe the sun-kissed surfer girls of their fantasies, Cuomo鈥檚 ode to these coastal beauties is packaged in 鈥淟.A. Girlz.鈥� Sounding a lot like Butch Walker from his days with Marvelous 3, Cuomo鈥檚 awkwardness around women is highlighted as he declares, 鈥淟.A. girls, please act your age/You treat me like I have the plague.鈥�
鈥淓ndless Bummer鈥� brings things to an acoustic close with a mellowness that follows after reflecting on the memories of a summer to remember. Suddenly, we are all reminded that summer can鈥檛 be endless like the Beach Boys promised us back in 1974.
Weezer and Panic! at the Disco make an appearance at Pittsburgh鈥檚 Stage AE on July 3.