Weezer is back. After a slew of disappointing albums, "Hurley" comes as the band's long−awaited return to form. Catchy, high−energy songs populate the record from start to finish and evoke the fun, geeky albums that launched Weezer on its path to fame in the '90s.
The aptly titled song "Memories" starts the album off with a bang. In driving, frenetic verses, lead singer Rivers Cuomo recalls times of old, while grungy power chords build to a simple and catchy refrain.
It's a formula that has worked before, and it's used to great effect throughout "Hurley." Every chorus seems to be crafted to stick in one's head, and every song lends itself to humming along on the first listen.
Cuomo still delivers the same zany, personal lyrics that work well with the music that fans love. "Memories" begins with the lines "Pissing in plastic cups before we went on stage / playing hackey sack back when Audioslave was still Rage."
Lyrically, he is reminiscing over simpler times, and the music reflects this backward gaze. The driving chords and catchy melodies are evocative of '90s Weezer during the period that saw the release of the spectacular "Blue Album" (1994) and "Pinkerton" (1996), Weezer's first — and best — albums.
As soon as the opening number ends, the second song, "Ruling Me," picks right up and holds its own as another standout track. While previous albums suffered from overproduction and a general lack of direction, Weezer uses all of its studio tricks to great effect here.
"Ruling Me" weaves multiple guitars alongside layers of harmonies that keep the song fresh and interesting all the way through. The myriad "oohs" and "aahs" floating behind Cuomo's voice are masterfully mixed to add background texture without stepping on the lead vocals.
Between fast rock songs at the heart of the album, the music mellows out a bit, all the while retaining its polish.
"Unspoken" is a nice change of pace that plays around with acoustic guitars and flutes, finishing with a powerful, electric conclusion. Most tracks seem carefully crafted without losing any of Weezer's nerdy self−consciousness.
The biggest downside is the album's running time. With only 10 songs, all under four minutes, it seems like it's over far too soon. Additionally, the second half of the record isn't as impressive or tight as the first: The songs are passable, but they don't have the same punch as that of the opening half.
Despite these drawbacks, stellar songs like "Ruling Me," "Unspoken," and the silly and rollicking "Where's My Sex?" make "Hurley" worth the price. The band doesn't take itself too seriously this time around, and it's that sense of playfulness that keeps the music fresh and engaging.
Weezer fans have been waiting for a return to form like "Hurley" since the late '90s at the very least. Weezer still ranks as many listeners' favorite band because of two albums that came out more than 10 years ago, though the number of die−hard Weezer addicts has waned over the past few years in wake of lackluster releases like "The Red Album" (2008) and "Raditude" (2009).
Seeing Cuomo and the gang simplifying their sound is nice. There are no bizarre guest spots here, as there were on "Raditude," which had songs featuring Lil Wayne. At least in some ways, sounding like they used to again (which is to say, good) is welcome.
But these new releases do not merely sound like recycled material.
While it's easy to wish for things to return to way they used to be, it would be lazy for the band to simply deliver the same product again and again. What ultimately separates Weezer from the pack is its ability to try new things, be adventurous and grow as a band.
Mid−'90s Weezer could not have written the tracks on "Hurley;" only 2010 Weezer, with all of their history, hits, misses and experience, could deliver an album like this.
Both old fans and Weezer virgins alike should check "Hurley" out. Because of its callbacks to the band's golden era, the album works well as a way for those not familiar with Weezer's past work to jump on the bandwagon.
It's not a perfect album, but for anyone who may have lost faith in Weezer, "Hurley" serves as the reaffirmation that Cuomo is still worth paying attention to.
