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The Less Than Triumphant Return of Weezer

At least Hurley is better than make believe?

DARCIE SMITH
ARTS EDITOR

ONLINE SOURCE

Weezer named their newest album after that guy from the TV show Lost.

Weezer probably holds the record for a band that has been given numerous second chances
from their fans. Not too many bands can boast of going consistently downhill with each
record they produce. Hurley released on Epitaph in September of 2010 and named after the

February 2, 2011+ Over the Edge

large and jolly Lost character, is barely an exception to this trend. There comes a time when
as a listener, one needs to simply throw up their hands and walk away. It is true that Hurley
is better than Raditude, which was maybe better than the Red Album, which was better than
Make Believe. But let’s face it: the glory days of Weezer were barely there in the first place,
so perhaps it is time for fans to stop making excuses for them. Rivers Cuomo may have once

been a bit of a dreamboat, but it is time to move on because now he wears stupid hats.

The album opens with “Memories,” which is not a huge disappointment, and certainly the
best way for them to start their album. The chorus is reminiscent of when Weezer used to
write good, fun songs. “All the memories make me want to go back there” is a lyric that fans
can certainly relate to — thinking back to the good days of Pinkerton and skateboarding. On
past albums, it seems that Rivers forgot how to write a song, but Hurley teases fans a bit and
stirs up some of the old feelings of listening to good Weezer. A lot the songs, however, are
not much more than mediocre radio anthems. “Ruling Me” is the most anthem-y track on the

Overall, the album is not as awful as Weezer’s previous
efforts, however, it is not strong enough to pull them out of
the doghouse.

album. The song is mildly catchy but it sounds like something that Good Charlotte or Simple
Plan might write. The first 18 seconds of “Trainwrecks” makes the song seem like it is going
to be much more epic than it is. It does manage to stay true to being whiny and juvenile,
which is a Rivers Cuomo trademark. Like most of their songs, the guitars do the exact same
thing over and over. “Unspoken” sounds like a Dashboard Confessional song, but even if
you are a fan of Christ Carrabba, this song still sucks. The last 45 seconds of the song bring
in the electric guitars and the final lyric is “our hate will be unspoken.” Enough said. The fifth
track, “Where Is My Sex?”, definitely seems like a follow up to “Tired of Sex,” off of Pinkerton,
which remains one of their greatest songs to date. This track is a poor effort and Rivers sings
as if he is trying to birth a small elephant. Their lyrics try to be demanding, but fail horribly.

Weezer is nerd-rock, and hearing them try and demand sex is unbelievable.

Overall, the album is not as awful as Weezer’s previous efforts however it is not strong
enough to pull them out of the doghouse. It is a step in the right direction for the band, but
Hurley proves that they still have a long way to come if they want to re-acquire the fan base

that they once had.