It seems like Weezer albums are like buses. You wait ages for one, and then two come along at once! After a five-year gap between the release of ‘Pinkerton’ and the ‘Green Album’, Weezer have unleashed their fourth studio album, ‘Maladroit’, only a year after their last effort. With the ‘Green Album’ being one of the albums of 2001, expectations were high for this release. Can Rivers and co produce the goods once again?
Of course, no new Weezer release would be complete without the now seemingly obligatory bass player change. This time around Mikey Walsh has been replaced by Scott Shriner. Rivers has also embraced change, and now sports a beard that even Obi-Wan Kenobi would be envious of. However, Rivers true force lies not in his beard, but in his amazing songwriting talent. Despite what people think of Rivers as a person, Weezer should be judged on their songs, and they have quality songs in abundance.
From the moment ‘American Gigolo’ bursts into earshot you know that ‘Maladroit’ isn’t going to disappoint. It is a catchy, poppy track that echoes the spirit of the ‘Green Album’. However, if you think that this is merely a re-hash (pipe!) of the last album you would be sorely mistaken. Maladroit is so much more, drawing influences from all three of the bands previous albums. ‘Slob’ echoes the quirkiness of the first album whereas tracks like ‘Slave’ recount the raw emotion that made ‘Pinkerton’ such a listening experience.
‘Maladroit’ is also fortunate enough to contain three of the best songs that the band have ever written. ‘Burndt Jamb’ is a superb song. It is a supremely melodic track that is wrapped in one of the most perfect guitar riffs I have ever heard. There is little I can say about ‘Dope Nose’ that hasn’t already been said. It was already a great song in its early form, but the background vocals that have been added to the finished version make it as close to perfection as you could get. It is the song that best epitimises the sound Weezer have created with this album. ‘Dope Nose’ is closely matched by ‘Keep Fishin’, another perfect slice of pop rock with a chorus to die for.
The rest of the album contains the meat and potatoes of the Weezer musical diet. There are the slow, emotion fuelled songs, such as ‘Death and Destruction’ and the melodic pop rock songs, great examples of these being ‘Possibilities’, ‘Space Rock’ and ‘Love Explosion’. Throw in a couple of heavier-tinged songs, in the form of ‘Take Control’ and ‘Fall Together’, and you have a perfect musical mix. The album is wrapped up in traditional fashion with the heartfelt, ‘December’. (UK fans also get two bonus songs on their version of the album – ‘Living Without You’ and ‘Island in the Sun’)
With ‘Maladroit’ Weezer have once again managed to produce another classic album. It takes everything that was so good about their previous albums and melds them together to create a supremely well-balanced album. There is little doubt that, even though we are only in May, this is going to be one of the albums of 2002. In fact I would be bold enough to state that this is the best Weezer release to date, due to the high standard maintained throughout the entire album. Buy it now and then worship Rivers Cuomo as the musical god he is!
Mark