4/5
AC/WZ
All hail like Halen. Weezer drop albums like coins in the couch...and they're all money like Michael Jordan taking off from the free-throw line, but this time with a V like jump for the man, complete with a guitar instead of Spalding for this axe strike. Because this is 'Van Weezer' for all the Van Halen fans who miss stadium rock like Bon Jovi misses hair spray. Rivers Cuomo and his collective release more albums than The Beatles around 1969 ('The White Album', 'Yellow Submarine', 'Abbey Road' and 'Let It Be'...DAMN! They could have called it a career right then...and they did), or when DMX (rest peacefully) started his career in 1998 with two albums for Def Jam ('It's Dark and Hell is Hot' and 'Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood') that helped keep the towers than LL Cool J built from being rocked like the bells. Only Nelly releases more albums (remember the 'Sweat'/'Suit' on the same day that was really hot in heeere?). Now the Los Angeles, California band since 1992 are already back this May like a Timberlake meme, in sync with the ipod and CD crowd with another album. After already beginning the year with the pet sounds of The Beach Boys inspired orchestra of 'OK Human' that was real radio for your head like 'OK Computer'. Now the power pop of this hard rock straight out the van of a tour bus comes at a time were we wish we could gig again together in concert. Crowd surfing like these boys do off Venice Beach when they're not in the studio growing their discography like Rivers' moustache and mullet. This riff and hard chord change from the electropop darlings is a love set-list to the likes of Black Sabbath, Metallica and of course Van Halen with a made up Kiss. Rocking in the USA they wish could be a free world again like Neil Young with this crazy horse power.
Postponed in the past until we can all get close enough to stage dive without looking like Jack Black at a 'School Of Rock' social distance, 'Van Weezer' is finally here. Even if live shows aren't quite the ticket...just yet. Hopefully soon I'll be able to go Haim and go home during these hard times to see the Valley Girl, 'Women In Music' with my bestie like Este (what's up D!). Weezer still release studio albums at a wheezing pace, even if the last time they released two albums in the same year (or any album for that matter) was two years ago in 2019 before corona locked down everything in social, studio isolation. Staying safe at home behind the studio booth before 'Van Weezer' pulled up. That's when 'The Black Album' and 'Teal Album' of classic Tears For Fears and Toto covers like blessing the rain down in 'Africa' that they Rick rolled out were sewn together for the 'Buddy Holly' band that has more strands of colour albums ('Blue', 'Green', 'Red', 'White' and 'Pink...erton') than threads of sweaters or a Pink Floyd 'Dark Side' kaleidoscope (can't stop, won't stop and if they do I'll become a scientist and invent more colours just so they can bring out more albums). So much so this writer that lost his way a few years ago had to catch up in a 'Pacific Daydream' for these California dreamers. Even taking it back to the 'Maladroit' days of 'Pinkerton'...perfect for listening to an album to start every sunny day in Japan like their sophomore sets 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' woodblock album artwork and Japanese references from Hiroshige. Here in the Marine and Walk, Santa Monica like area of my new home in Yokohama there's a sign that reads, "the same stars that shine down on Los Angeles shine down on Yokohama. From the sky, our cities would look much the same." Which makes Yoko like Ono the perfect place for this writer from just outside of Lennon's Liverpool to reunite with his love for the garage rock band from 'Raditude' to the 'Make Believe' Santa Monica dream. Here's to you 'Hurley'. 'Everything Will Be Alright In The End.'
There goes my 'Hero' like a Foo to start the proceeding and party that fights for our right to festival again. These boys are beasts as they rip roar back into our headphones stages, singing, "When I was a kid, I thought I'd save the world/Running 'round and chasing all the criminals/Swinging on a web, flying in the sky/Shooting lasers from my eyes/But now I know it never was my destiny/It's not my place in life, not who I'm meant to be/And I don't need the glory, I don't need the fame/And I don't wanna wear this cape". As even with all this cape fear, superhero fatigue, Spider-Man and Cyclops get their props. 'All The Good Ones' keeps it rocking for the nice guys who no longer finish last, until the first single, 'The End Of The Game' keeps playing like Atari. The alien video and 8-bit game make this saga complete for this bands fifteenth album as Rivers runs, "I was Mick and you were Marianne (Marianne) /You would harmonize when I felt bad (I felt bad)/But now you're gone". This one is not for the noobs. The midway point of this album gives us the 'Beginning Of The End' (interloping Billy Joel inspirations for 'The Longest Time') like when an 'Illmatic' Nas talked about 'Haltime' for this albums that's a half hour slice of rock heaven that will have you riffing, 'I Need Some Of That'. On the Ozzy Osbourne 'Blue Dream' this bat biting rock goes Sabbath hard like Tony Stark in a black tee screaming, "Everyone gets lei'd/When they get to the beach/I bet you really wish/You were here with me/I jumped off the deep end/Left it all ashore/What'd I have to lose?/I've been through this before" for the 'Everybody Wants Some' Cali' crowd. Before they go for '1 More Hit' like a Dodger with three more bases left to steal. 'Shelia Can Do It' they tell us after trying to make it with a home run hit that knocks it out the park. As Weezer sing for Sheila and your "watered down hearts", "She's shaving her legs and she's feeling alright/She's putting on jeans of the type that are tight/She's getting herself ready to take on the night". And these guys do like 'She Needs Me' too. All before they slow it down for a beautiful ballad at least for hard rock in the 'Precious Metal Girl'. As Cuomo couplet dedicates to his "faster pussycat" loving lyrics, "When the neon lights stop shining/I see you like a silver lining." It's the punctuating perfect classic closer to this precious concert cargo that shows this band can still Stevie sign, seal and deliver their signature even when pushing the envelope. We may be a long way away from a golden ticket to the factory of festive stage shows, but these heroes offer hope. Even without a tour bus, Weezer still have a truck load of hits like they do discs to deliver on the double. Load up the van. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Playlist Picks: 'Hero', 'The End Of The Game', 'Precious Metal Girl'.
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