The new Weezer.

The new Weezer.

I've had a chance to listen to most of the new Weezer and I admit I'm pleased with the majority of it. The first five tracks are the bands strongest opening salvo since Pinkerton. In fact, the best tunes on this disc sound like Pinkerton and The Blue Album had a baby. It also comes across as the most personal Rivers Cuomo album since, here comes that name again, Pinkerton. The opening trio of "Troublemaker," "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)," and "Pork And Beans" are all ruminations of stardom, and the fourth song "Heart Songs" outlines Cuomo's development as a music fan into a full fledged musician. Things remain strong until "Thought I Knew," sung by drummer Pat Wilson Brian Bell, which is a pleasant enough song but ultimately would have been better as a b-side since it doesn't really fit in with everything else.

You can find a few of the new songs online yourself, if you just poke around a little. Overall I'm pretty stoked for this album. I've been a fan since first buying The Blue Album in Normal, IL from Appletree Records when I was a wee college boy in the early '90s, and like most Weezer fans, my patience ha been tested by the band's later output (even I can't make any plausible excuses for most of Make Believe anymore), so I'm pleased to see the band finally deliver another strong album. Finally!

UPDATE: They've pushed the release date up from June 24 to June 3. Yay!