EDITOR’S NOTE: What is Weezer’s best album? Is it their debut, with classics like “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly”, as well as their absolute best song, “My Name Is Jonas”? Is it their third album, nicknamed the Green Album, sporting a killer one-two punch of “Hash Pipe” and “Island in the Sun”? Is it Raditude? (It is not.)
Perhaps OK Human will be less Raditude, and more Blue Album or Green Album? Jeremy’s awesome write-up below will provide you with the goods, homie. I realize that I could just tell you, but then I would have to kill you. And if I killed you, then how would you possibly be able to check out our podcast, available on Spotify right freakin’ here?
Also murder is bad and illegal. That bit is more important, but just slightly.
Enjoy, and keep Kicking Ass.
- Z.
Weezer – OK Human (Atlantic)
There are 3 types of Weezer fans. There’s the kind that loved the first 2 releases, got mad at Rivers for saying that Pinkerton was his least favorite album, and gave up on them. There’s the kind that really only enjoyed the first 2 Weezer albums plus a handful of songs on Maladroit, but continues to say they like them. Then there’s the kind that thinks the cover of “Rosanna” is the best thing that ever happened.
We shun the 3rd type.
They don’t know what’s going on.
OK Human is their 14th album, with a 15th (Van Weezer) to be released later this year. I was pleasantly surprised by the effort. It falls closer in line to the work they did on The Green Album; fun songs that constantly hint at an underlying sadness. Rivers is not trying to do anything with his voice that he shouldn’t be doing, leaving the imperfections and heightened nerdery vulnerable to the elements. The music displays their love of Ric Ocasek with simple melodies that are focused on engaging your ears and involuntary head bobbing. A string section is present throughout the album to give it an extra something special.
I only have one issue. Aside from the first track, “All My Favorite Songs”, and the mid-album tirade against an addiction to technology, “Screens”, nothing on the record stuck with me. The songs were fine at the time, but when I tried to recall them, I couldn’t remember which was which. On a re-listen, I heard “Playing My Piano” blend so flawlessly into “Mirror Image” that I didn’t recognize that it was a different track. “Aloo Gobi”, “Grapes of Wrath”, and “Numbers” could have just been one song as well and I wouldn’t have noticed.
It’s definitely an improvement over RADitude and Everything Will Be Alright In The End, which get ZERO airtime in my house, which gives me some hope. I can honestly say that I can look forward to Van Weezer’s release with something less than abject disdain.
Thanks, guys.
FFO: the Cars, the Killers
-JR
fairlykickass.com 