Weezer (Black Album)
Sign In to rate and review
CRITIC REVIEWS
84
Even doused in black point, distorted beyond recognition or trying for some reason to spit bars, Weezer still maintain the ability to surprise, and even brush with something transcendental in a bridge here ... or a chorus there.
80
The Black Album feels like the most fully realized latter-day Weezer album: it may flagrantly draw from old and new elements of pop culture, yet it belongs to its own feverish world.
70
Their recent uptick in form had been supported by successfully channelled home comforts, but on Black they sound fully invested into exploring, and more than capable of handling, a new pop sound.
70
On the innovative Black Album, the pop-rock greats serve us a selection of well-evolved bangers.
6mo
67
With the band remaining prolific and energized, is it that interesting to spend so much time thinking about a 25-year-old masterpiece? Maybe it’s more important that Weezer’s idiosyncrasies feel honest again.
60
It’s a great - albeit mis-matched - collection of songs.
60
The LA band have made a wilfully goofy album whose jokes wear pretty thin, pretty fast – though this is a largely solid alt-pop record nonetheless.
60
The band’s 13th album portends a musical change-up, but its core is still precise, poker-faced pop-rock.
60
At times, the Black Album feels like an awkward band trying to hang out with ‘the kids’, at others, it feels like a brilliant mind trying to work out where it fits in the modern world.
9mo
57
This striving for the new and different comes at a cost. There’s no emotional throughline on The Black Album, no grand statement that continues from one track to the next. The songs never blur together, but they also don’t tell a story as the sum of their parts.
55
As uneven and muddled as it can be, The Black Album gets one clear message through from Cuomo to the thirty- and forty-somethings who loved him in the ‘90s: thanks for everything, but it’s time we all moved on.
50
This is the most disjointed record in Weezer’s discography. Its probably not the worst but its right there with Raditude and Make Believe.
50
To the extent that it adds new wrinkles to the Weezer formula while still sounding every bit like a Weezer album, you can call this a smashing success. But to the extent that anyone would ever use this music as the backdrop to a night out—sans irony, anyway—well, that’s much more debatable.
50
Cuomo shrugs as he jumps from one middle-aged errand to the next, hoping to plop back to his bed so he can go back to daydreaming about the Pacific.
50
Overall, Black Album is a weaker release by a band that seems to be lacking direction. Despite some catchy highlights, too many songs are skippable with uninteresting music and empty lyrics.
9mo
43
While it is absolutely no crime for a band to flirt with sonic experimentation, a disastrous affair can brew when the flirtation results in a body of work that is far more two-dimensional and hollow than what the band have proven capable of doing through their decades of previous work.
40
Weezer's Black Album resumes the band's nosedive.
40
Perhaps, sadly, the most damning criticism one can make of Weezer here is that they sound boring.
9mo
30
Weezer's latest is an utterly skippable collection that'd be entirely unremarkable if not for the fact it was released by Weezer. Better luck next time, Rivers.
30
Whilst it is undeniably their most experimental work, the record listens like an audio representation of Theresa May’s awkward robot-like dancing – confused, cringingly uncomfortable and desperately out of touch.
15
With The Black Album, Weezer tries to experiment with different sounds, only to achieve results that are staler than before - and of course, bumbling lyrics that are as dorky than anything they’ve ever written.
10
Weezer's Black Album shrinks to the low ambition of phoned-in karaoke over plastic keyboard preloads.
10
Their sixth self-titled album is a new low, even by their comically slack standards.
Y'all, stop giving one line reviews the top comment. My quip wasn't even that funny wtf. That said, no deep fried memes came out of this so I'm here to torture you with a review instead.
So guess who knew this was going to be bad from day one...that's right THIS GUY! You might be thinking "but Gav, that's not so hard to do" but this album actually has some history to it. I feel context is key for this one so buckle up for some WEEZY HISTORY.
This album was actually announced three ... read more
So guess who knew this was going to be bad from day one...that's right THIS GUY! You might be thinking "but Gav, that's not so hard to do" but this album actually has some history to it. I feel context is key for this one so buckle up for some WEEZY HISTORY.
This album was actually announced three ... read more
Hmm. So this a dumpster fire.
Weezer haven't had the best couple of years, with their records being flammed from head to toe (deservedly). It was clear that Weezer just wanted to have fun from the moment I hit play on The Teal Album (doesn't excuse it from being god awful). And it's also clear that Weezer want to move to a more pop centric sound on this album. From the funk layerd Can't Fight The Hustle, to the Uber hip hop influenced Zombie Bastards, it's very clear from the first couple of ... read more
Weezer haven't had the best couple of years, with their records being flammed from head to toe (deservedly). It was clear that Weezer just wanted to have fun from the moment I hit play on The Teal Album (doesn't excuse it from being god awful). And it's also clear that Weezer want to move to a more pop centric sound on this album. From the funk layerd Can't Fight The Hustle, to the Uber hip hop influenced Zombie Bastards, it's very clear from the first couple of ... read more
edit: originally an 89. This certainly has decreased in quality because it's fucking Weezer, but it still has its decent cuts.
edit: originally a 60. first raditude, now this? okay buddy, i think you've gone too far. While this album has already engulfed me, the album has already engrossed me with some aspects I failed to notice during several listens. The aesthetics on this album is already well-blended on Weezer's new directional sound here.
edit: Originally a 30. Damn it. I got the album ... read more
edit: originally a 60. first raditude, now this? okay buddy, i think you've gone too far. While this album has already engulfed me, the album has already engrossed me with some aspects I failed to notice during several listens. The aesthetics on this album is already well-blended on Weezer's new directional sound here.
edit: Originally a 30. Damn it. I got the album ... read more
Purchasing Weezer (Black Album) from Amazon helps support Album of the Year. Or consider a donation?
pitchfork.com
Weezer Announce 'The Black Album,' Share New Song 
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
MISC LISTS
| / | Rolling Stone (First Half) |
Track List
- Can't Knock the Hustle
- Zombie Bastards
- High As a Kite
- Living In L.A.
- Piece of Cake
- I’m Just Being Honest
- Too Many Thoughts In My Head
- The Prince Who Wanted Everything
- Byzantine
- California Snow
Sign in to comment
1y
holy shit the Weezer user average for the actual artist dropped under 70 rest in damn peace
1y
I have never in my life been excited for a Weezer album but for some reason I am for this one.
Contributions By
patton, thisisabtlgrnd, Leo Aguilar, Toasterqueen12, Edgeworth, domvic, The Blue South101, siberianbreaks
Added on: November 11, 2017