Posting up an extra today because I don't think I'm going to have time tomorrow:
18. Weezer- Everything Will Be Alright In the End
Definitely one of the 'big' releases this year, the new Weezer represents 2 main things- their return to form and also some of the most literal (and somewhat cheesy) lyrics of Rivers Cuomo's entire catalog. But more on that later.
First let's talk about the music itself. THIS IS MORE LIKE IT WEEZER. Everything is punchy, catchy and sticks. There's no limp wristing to be found (at least in my opinion) and it's a great, rewarding listen from start to finish. There's nothing overly-complicated or any unnecessary experiments with other genres like Weezer have been doing for quite a while now. And damn, does going back to the basics work for this group.
But... do your lyrics HAVE TO BE ABOUT GOING BACK TO BASICS? Well, it certainly seems like it on this album. There are some moments of brutal honesty but unfortunately, these come hand in hand with some real cringeworthy moments. I am not a person who really listens to lyrics but there are some exceptions where you can't ignore them. However, they're not all that bad- "Foolish Father" is beautiful, and really packs an emotional punch, the title track is the same. Lucky then, that these great moments outweigh the bad ones and overall make the album so worthwhile.
And let's not forget the last 3 tracks (
The Futurescope Trilogy), which serve as a trilogy
of sorts (don't worry- you're not getting Weezer does
Dream Theater or anything)- these three tracks I assume will go down in history as having some of the all time best Weezer melodies, and that isn't just me being hyperbolic.
If you can get past the unfortunate self loathing lyrics -which admittedly seems to be a hard thing to do for some people- (and it's only in the first few songs really) on some of the tracks, and can appreciate the fine music on here, I can promise you're in for one of the best rock albums you can get your hands on in 2014.