Sábado 11 Abr 2009, 23:57

In the 90’s, I didn’t listen to much in the way of music. I owned four albums maybe, Spin Doctor's “Pocket Full of Kryptonite” The Offspring’s “Smash” The Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “One Hot Minute” and Weezer’s “Weezer (Blue Album)” and really, that was all the music I needed to be happy. But I grew up and got more into music and at some point, stepped on my copy of Weezer’s album.

It wasn’t until recently that I can really say what a tragedy this was. I relisten to this album now and it brings up all those great times of innocence and fun. Because that’s what this music is to me, just upbeat music that makes me happy. Technically it’s not the most impressive album, but why should that matter? Just good memories and good songs.

I could really go song by song and say what I like about them. “My Name is Jonas” has a great change in riff when the lyrics that come in and Cuomo’s whine really keep the energy up. “No One Else” is my favorite track on the album, because lyrically it summarizs a lot of what I have felt during relationships and when the vocals layer on the chorus at the end, it gets me very pumped up. “The World Has Turned” is another favorite, with its rambling guitar line and catchy singing. And “buddy Holly,” a great sing along with an even greater music video.

“Undone (The Sweater Song)” is probably the only song I don’t like on the album, since it really slows everything up and just kind of rambles with talking interludes, but that’s ok, one song can’t detract much. “Surf Wax America” really brings it up with those feelings of summer and that great kind of doowop break. “Say It Ain’t So” is probably Cumo’s best singing effort, rising and falling in that everso Cuomo rhyme, and everyone knows it and can sing along. “In the Garage” brings me to my own nerdy youth with a good drum beat. “Holiday” is impressively layered with its vocals and its dropping only to rise again ending. “Only In Dreams” perfectly closes this album, with its somewhat melancholy tunes and a theme that really sums up the album.

It’s funny that this album can make me so happy and yet it has that twinge of alienation under every word sung. But that’s what youth is all about. This is an album for my memories, that can still bring me back to who I was and still keep my toes tapping.

Favorite Track: “No One Else”