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CRITIC REVIEWS
90
The 2016 installment of Weezer isn't nearly as messy as the group's last color-coded eponymous record.
88
Make no mistake, The White Album is the long awaited and worthy successor to Pinkerton. And that’s not an exaggeration of any kind.
85
This isn't The Blue Album. This isn't Pinkerton. Nothing Weezer have released in the years since ever could be. That doesn't mean the band can't make good records. It just means they just spent a few too many years choosing not to.
80
It might not be the best batch of songs Rivers has written since the ’90s ... but its front-to-back coherence as the Third Weezer Album You Always Wanted But Long Gave Up Hoping For is simply staggering.
80
This is no pastiche of so-called ‘classic’ Weezer. Nostalgic, yes – ‘Wind In Our Sail’ and ‘Jacked Up’ both edge towards the theatrical, while ‘(Girl We Got A) Good Thing’ is brazenly Beach Boys-esque in its melodies – but this isn’t a band replicating past glories to sate grumps’ receptions.
80
In writing White Album, Cuomo stresses how he felt he hadn’t made a full-blown beach album, even though many would be quick to defend that Blue Album is the quintessential nineties surf rock album. But never has there been a theme attached to it, and in White Album, Weezer are dutifully following a similar pop template akin to The Beach Boys’ pre-psychedelia streak.
80
For the most part ... ‘Weezer’ is Cuomo’s 634th attempt to recapture the vivacity of his band’s 1994 debut and the savage rom-pop glory of its acclaimed cult follow-up ‘Pinkerton’, and with more success than usual.
80
Damn, Weezer! Back at it again with the White Album!
75
That is the best thing about Weezer in 2016: The group still holds its own singular identity. It’s what makes some of its most effortless offerings, like “California Kids” and the trotting, mournful “Jacked Up”, seem ideally set for the radio dial that has afforded Weezer so much success.
75
After enduring low points like Make Believe and Hurley, Weezer fans finally have their favorite band back making music that’s both catchy and emotionally resonant.
75
It ... offers a glimmer of hope that yet another masterpiece is within their reach.
70
Despite wavering towards the second half, there is no doubt that this is Weezer’s best album in years. It continues the fine tradition of their colourful self-titled LPs and feels like the start of a new chapter for the band.
70
Having sufficiently lowered our expectations over the past two decades, Weezer are finally back on a winning streak.
70
Cuomo has been aggressively trolling fans of his youthful-sincerity phase for the past 15 years – which is five times longer than his youthful-sincerity- phase actually lasted. Weezer's fourth self-titled album is a sustained Beach Boys parody, with tunes like "Wind in Our Sail," "L.A. Girlz" and "Endless Bummer."
70
It will satisfy the band’s longtime fans that are still weary (and wary) from a decade of really dubious music from the band. But it also manages to add some new wrinkles to Weezer’s overall sound.
62
We listen to Weezer in 2016 largely for nostalgic dog whistles ... Most of all, we listen for reassurance that our beloved Weezer can avoid relapsing completely into embarrassment—and by those parameters, mediocre may as well be magnificent.
60
This being late-era Weezer there are of course some erratic songwriting decisions – the dorky half-rhymes of Thank God For Girls – and a fair bit of filler (Jacked Up, (Girl We Got a) Good Thing are entirely unmemorable), but there’s also enough here to stir feelings of nostalgia in anyone who fell for the band the first time around.
60
The latest attempt at complete reversion is comforting and sweet - it's nice to know Rivers finally woke up - but it's cheapened by the sense that it's just too late now.
60
Although The White Album is predictable in that its singles are stand-outs, that just feels like another way that Weezer are doing a great job at sounding like Weezer.
50
What with the new Star Wars movie coming out, the timing for this particular brand of dinosaur nostalgia couldn’t be better, and I presume it’s why I’m still somehow made aware of the arrival of a new Weezer record while a genuinely great nostalgic bubblegum party record by, say, the Go! Team comes and goes and nobody even flinches.
50
White is... fine. It’s OK, it’s not bad, but it’s largely standard Weezer and the stand-out tracks are fewer and further between.
So if you haven’t noticed, in the past few weeks I’ve been listening to Weezer's back catalog and putting it up on aoty for all to see. And while there were a few surprises(red, maladroit), most of it was terribly disappointing(Green, Make believe, Raditude). But now, my journey end, and to make it special I’ll be actually writing a structured review on the band. Enjoy!
Long Form Review:
I recently listened to “Weezer (White Album)” and I thought it was really ... read more
Long Form Review:
I recently listened to “Weezer (White Album)” and I thought it was really ... read more
after the bands return to decency in 2014, weezer releases a selection of songs that are very energetic and a perfect fit for the summer. cuomo returns to his hook-driven mindset that was on the green album, but produces something much less shallow. structurally, the tracks make me think of their first two albums, but lyrically they make me think of the green and red records. this is much better than both of those, except for a few songs on the second half, which kinda ruined to flow of the ... read more
edit: originally 85, holy shit, 'Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori', has grown on me. A LOT
Holy hell, where have you been my whole life?
I'm so glad I listened to this album after listening to Black and Raditude because this just proves that Weezer can actually make a good record.
Favs: All
Holy hell, where have you been my whole life?
I'm so glad I listened to this album after listening to Black and Raditude because this just proves that Weezer can actually make a good record.
Favs: All
At last, we have a mature Weezer album. Sharp writing, funny narratives, outstanding hooks and that nerdy Weezer charm that fans have been waiting decades for makes “The White Album” one of their best releases in years!
Fav Tracks: L.A. Girlz, King Of The World, Wind In Our Sail, California Kids, (Girl We Got A) Good Thing, Thank God For Girls, Endless Bummer
Least Fav Track: Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori
Score:
9.1
Outstanding
Fav Tracks: L.A. Girlz, King Of The World, Wind In Our Sail, California Kids, (Girl We Got A) Good Thing, Thank God For Girls, Endless Bummer
Least Fav Track: Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori
Score:
9.1
Outstanding
Honestly, this is such a great record! I thought it was extremely fun! It was like if the Blue Album and Pinkerton had a baby together.
The hooks on this record are great and catchy! The song writing on this record is probably Weezer best in years. Okay, well maybe not every track is cleverly written (Thank God for Girls for example,) but other than that song, the song writing is actually pretty emotionally well written, for example, king of the world is about Rivers’s wife and if he was ... read more
The hooks on this record are great and catchy! The song writing on this record is probably Weezer best in years. Okay, well maybe not every track is cleverly written (Thank God for Girls for example,) but other than that song, the song writing is actually pretty emotionally well written, for example, king of the world is about Rivers’s wife and if he was ... read more
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END OF YEAR LISTS
| #18 | / | The Needle Drop |
| #23 | / | LA Music Blog |
| #28 | / | Dork |
| #32 | / | No Ripcord |
| #46 | / | Earbuddy |
MISC LISTS
| / | SPIN (First Half) |
Track List
- California Kids
- Wind in Our Sail
- Thank God for Girls
- (Girl We Got A) Good Thing
- Do You Wanna Get High?
- King of the World
- Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori
- L.A. Girlz
- Jacked Up
- Endless Bummer
In Library (78)
Added on: January 15, 2016
