Weezer - Make Believe

I didn’t want to be one of those people who appraised Weezer’s fifth and most recent album on its similarity (or lack thereof) to the standard set by the brilliance of their first two records. I’ve always attempted to allow my favorite artists to grow and change without chastising them for not being the same as they were years ago. With that said, Make Believe is still very disappointing. Is this record superior to the majority of rock albums released within the past year? Of course. Do I know Weezer is a more talented band than what this album exhibits? Most definitely. The album’s greatest flaws are glaring. I’m afraid it doesn’t take a Harvard education to know the talk box solos and elementary school rhymes of “Beverly Hills” leave much to be desired. Parody or not, “We are All on Drugs” is just plain painful to listen to. Listen a little harder, though, and you’ll discover the most deeply disappointing quality about Make Believe. Rivers Cuomo, whose lyrical irony resonated with those of us who grew up during the alternative rock boom of the middle 90’s, turns in a consistently underwhelming performance as poet. “My fashion sense is a little wack,” “My poor brain is gonna pop,” “You are such a blessing/And I won’t be messing with the one thing that brings light to all my darkness,” “There’s the pitch slow and straight/All I have to do is swing and I’m a hero/But I’m a zero” are but a few of the awkward phrases Mr. Cuomo attempts to turn. However, as I alluded to earlier, the situation is not completely dire. When the band is firing on all cylinders, they outclass almost all of the competition. “Perfect Situation” builds its groove with gradually increasing intensity and showcases Cuomo’s ability to craft a melody. “This is Such a Pity” accesses a pure, New Wave sound better than most bands from the New Wave period, and “The Other Way,” while inching closely to lyrical folly, marries sunny melody and backbeat to Cuomo’s trademark expressions of insecurity. I know better than to deride Make Believe for what it’s not, but unfortunately, I also know better than to accept the album as it is. [www.weezer.com]