Music Notes: Weezer, Make Believe

September 20th, 2006

Tanja received a box of promo CDs from a record label, so I think it will be fun for me to post my aging, Gen X thoughts about this “new music.”

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Music I’m most familiar with Weezer’s “Blue” first album sporting The Sweater Song, Buddy Holly and Say It Ain’t So, little perfect diamonds of mid-nineties indie rock. I’ve vaguely heard other Weezer songs since, like Hash Pipe and Islands in the Sun. After a hiatus when it seems the band pretty much broke up, this album Make Believe arrived in 2005. Has it really been over ten years?

The album tumbles open with the funny Beverly Hills, a Smash Mouth (s)mash-up of Joan Jett, with some well-timed quips resulting in a perfect song for teenagers with no sarcasm detector. The second tune Perfect Situation I admire as it has the same chords in the verse and chorus, but due to an arching Rivers Cuomo melody, it doesn’t sound that way. The descending scales are a nice trick. Third, we get This is Such a Pity, a totally awesome 80s rip off. The plodding guitar and droopy singing, keyboards, sound kind of like Rick Springfield jamming with Erasure, or New Order. I’d like to hear it combined with AFI’s Love Like Winter and sung by The Cardigans.

There’s a lull at this point until We Are All On Drugs: completely stupid but likeable, because the catchy, goofy chorus fullfills the Ramones-y promise of the title. Whenever someone does something stupid, one assumption is that they’re on drugs, and this song points this out as a tired explanation.

I’ll give the band credit that on the better songs, there is an unmistakably pleasing energy, that of heartfelt lyrics sung by a sincere singer, backed by a band that knows what they’re good at and amicably supporting the song. There are some neat melodies here. But Make Believe sags terribly in the middle, and some songs like The Other Way are practically unlistenable.

Overall, Rivers Cuomo sounds tired, as if it’s all too easy. Weezer could come up with some crazier guitar licks, at least. Meanwhile, chunky chord thing, rap singing thing, and self-effacing lyrics thing are in ready supply these days.

I think Weezer had more creative energy when they had something to lose (or something to prove). Maybe it’s time for a long vacation on some island in the sun (sorry, I couldn’t resist).