Weezer Can Do What They Want

Lead singer and songwriter of Weezer, Rivers Cuomo, has never been afraid to give props to his own idols. In "Heart Songs", he sings of musicians whose songs "never feel wrong" like Joan Baez, Bruce Springsteen, and Cat Stevens, before revealing how he was inspired to start a band after listening to Nirvana for the first time. Not to mention all the covers they've recorded over the years, like The Car's "You Might Think" and The Band's "The Weight". In fact, just the other day I was listening to their cover of Toto's "Rosanna" and thinking to myself, "Man, I wish Weezer could sing every song."

And then the Teal Album came out.

Meant to bridge the gap between Pacific Daydream and the upcoming Black Album, the Teal Album is composed of 10 classic songs from artists like ELO, Tears for Fears, and Eurythmatics. While some love it for it's simplicity and camp, some reviewers have slammed the new album, like Glide Magazine's James Roberts, who called it "a particularly well produced demo for an admittedly super-tight wedding band". SNL recently made fun of the band's divided fan base in a hilariously accurate skit with Leslie Jones and Matt Damon. Damon plays a "Ride or Die" Weezer fan and Jones plays the part of a purist, a fan who only likes the Blue Album and Pinkerton. The two struggle to answer the question, "Is Weezer good anymore?" My answer is yes.

Maybe if Weezer didn't already have 11 other albums plus 25 years of experience, my answer would be different. However, releasing a surprise 12th album with a 13th still on the way, Weezer doesn't have to prove themselves anymore. Recording an album of covers isn't lazy, it's a bunch of guys having fun together and inspiring other young artists along the way. It's kind of sweet in a way. Not to mention every song on the album is a beloved classic. Another thing reviewers ragged on was the fact that they didn't put any original spins on the song, but that's the best part in my opinion. It seems almost disrespectful to me when a band completely changes a great song. It shows a type of arrogance I don't care for. Weezer's note for note renditions show the band's humility and love of music, as well as makes you feel like you were invited to a jam session with the band.

"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" and "Mr. Blue Sky" are sung in the exact way they were meant to be heard. The way a translation from Old English into the modern vernacular makes a classic like "Romeo and Juliet" easier to read and understand, their rendition of an oldie like "Happy Together" makes it accessible to a new audience. This album, to me at least, calls back to an older song, "My Name is Jonas". It seems to be their way of telling the artists that inspired them "Thanks for all you've shown us, this is how we feel."

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