Weezer were once one of the most consistent, fun and engaging rock acts of their generation. However the youth and charm of their career has slowly decayed like a sick dog that needs to be euthanized. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Raditude is the worst album the band has ever made.
Weezer have long been the quintessential band for awkward skinny white guys who are insecure and totally content with it. Front man Rivers Cuomo has never shied away from wearing his heart on his sleeve and many of Weezer's tunes deal with striving for completion and happiness yet always coming up short (ie: "The Sweater Song", "Say It Ain't So" and "Pink Triangle")The band used this tried and true formula throughout the 90s with their self titled debut andPinkerton. However the Bush years were feast or famine for this California quartet. While The Green Album and Maladroit were both excellent records, Make Believe and The Red Albumwere met with mixed reviews and reaction from fans.
Raditude is simply the continuation in the long suffering decline of Weezer. The only song that is worth mentioning in a positive light is the current single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To". Cuomo's vocals are fun and catchy and find the aging icon more upbeat than anything he's recorded in years. The acoustic breakdown always make me smile.
The rest of the album is mired with mediocrity and blandness. A teenager could easily have written these piss poor lyrics. "When I walk down the street/ I've been tripping on my feet/ And my clothes they don't match / my blue jeans need a patch" is the opening verse on "Put Me Back Together". It seems as if Weezer gave up on trying before this record was even made.
Many of the songs have lyrics that are supposed to be funny or awkward (a white guy saying "Homie" and "Chillaxin" - never heard that before right?) This goal would be met if it was 1996 all over again. But in 2009 these tunes just come off as forgettable and/or laughably bad
Lil Wayne makes a stupid and pointless cameo on "Can't Stop Partying". "In the Mall" talks about the dangerous joy of - riding escalator up and down (WTF?). To top it all off members of the All American Rejects receive writing credits for a few songs on Raditude.
The band even tries to unsuccessfully channel their inner Lady Gaga on electro fuzz tune "I'm Your Daddy". They take a page from The Beatles on"Love is the Answer" which features the single most misplaced sitar and Indian vocal part of all time.Halfway through this album I stopped and wondered if anyone told Weezer just how blatantly retarded this album was.
However the answer becomes appallingly clear by the end - it was designed this way from the very beginning. Thanks Weezer. I'll see you in hell.
Grade: D
No comments:
Post a Comment