Weezer - Raditude

Time to put on your geekiest sweater, most comfortable chinos and develop an unnatural fear of the opposite sex: it’s new Weezer album time. A band that throughout it’s career has unashamedly embroiled itself with the cool-uncool dichotomy, Weezer are a fan’s band through and through. Their new album, with perhaps the most perfect Weezer-esque album title yet, is one of their most engaging yet, blending their characteristic pop/grunge /indie hybrid with new musical directions that seem both intriguing and perverse at the same time.

First things first; yes, there is a song with Lil’ Wayne, and sadly, it is awful. The buttock-clenchingly cheesy ‘Can’t Stop Partying’ is really, really bad. A horrible, cheap sounding backing track that shows none of the musical talent that is so apparent with Weezer, coupled with lyrics that sound like they were written on a 14 year old girl’s Bebo profile, it’s just really, really upsetting. Lil’ Wayne’s rapping sounds lazy, reflecting none of his characteristic wit or delivery that was present on the frankly brilliant ‘Tha Carter III.’ If you are a certified mentalist and the idea of a Weezy/Weezer crossover sounds appealing, then may I direct your attention to a free remix album called ‘Weezyer - What Lil‘ Wayne’s Rock Album Should Sound Like’ (www.weezyer.com) which is surprisingly refreshing and showcases a similar level of craftsmanship to that which went into arguably the Holy Grail of ‘mash-up’ album’s, Dangermouse’s ‘The Grey Album.’

Throughout the album, there are definite signs of musical experimentation. A key example is the refreshing and charming ‘Love Is The Answer’, which features a stunning Bollywood sample and sitar work by Indian legend Nishat Khan. Where the success of such ventures is at times debatable, such as the unnecessary level of synth on ‘Put Me Back Together’ that strays into Cyrus-sibling territory, it is nice to see the band attempting new things with an already successful formula. There are several songs on the album that are classic-Weezer, notably the ones where the production was solely in the hands of lead singer Rivers Cuomo. ‘Let It All Hang Out’ is McLovin in a Marshall amp and ‘In The Mall’, although somewhat cheesy, is still one of the best Weezer songs from their past 3 albums.

Weezer have produced an album that will both entertain existing fans and attract others, mainly with the presence of celebrity names such as Jermaine Dupri and Lil’ Wayne. Although at times hit-and-miss, ‘Raditude’ is a very strong album that shows the band retaining their trademark sound and ethos whilst at the same time continuing to move forwards.

7/10