Alternative mainstays Weezer return with their seventh studio effort and the follow up to last year's The Red Album with Raditude. This album finds the group trying to appeal to a more commercially viable fanbase while still maintaining the pop sensibility that made them famous with their 1994 debut The Blue Album. This attempt to please both old and new fans backfires on them this time around.

Starting off, "I'm Your Daddy" has a melodic and catchy beat that is primed for radio airplay. Lead singer Rivers Cuomo sounds great with his spot-on vocal delivery allowing the song to coast along with ease. "The Girl Got Hot" has a prominent drum beat overlapped with a memorable "oh-oh-oh" chorus making this song one of the standouts here. "Can't Stop Partying" is one of the head scratching tunes on this album, featuring a guest vocal appearance from rapper Lil Wayne. This song is basically nothing more than an alcohol advertisement with references to Grey Goose and Patron. Not even Lil Wayne's guest rap can do this song any justice, as this was most likely an attempt to lure in the MTV and club-going crowds to boost potential album sales.

Moving along, the album teeters on the edge of obscurity with some eye opening, out of the ordinary moments. "Trippin' Down the Freeway" packs a melodic punch, but lacks the lyrical consistency of their previous studio albums. "Love is the Answer" has an Indian influenced melody attached to it with Indian language lyrics heard distinctly in the chorus. You wonder where the band was going with this song as this one feels out of place here. "Let it All Hang Out" is a loud, thumping track that attempts to get the album back on track with Rivers' strong vocals making the song one of the few highlights here.

"In the Mall" is probably the closest thing to a melodic, straight-forward tune to this album, but the repetitive lyrics drive this song right into the ground. The overall lyrical shallowness is the main problem here, as this album is clearly an attempt to skewer a younger demographic who might not yet be familiar with Weezer. There is nothing wrong with expanding your fanbase, but when you're doing it at the expense of your prominent and established fanbase, that will lead to major derision amongst those established fans.

My favorite track off the album is the first single, "(If You Are Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To". The song is pure, vintage Weezer with its catchy alterna-pop melodies heard throughout and a chorus that is guaranteed to have you singing along when it comes on the radio.

Overall, a disappointing effort here from Weezer, a band that has accomplished so much and has built up quite a reputable following in its 15 year career. If they want to keep that crown that they've been wearing for so long, they'll have to try a lot harder and dig a lot deeper for lyrical inspiration on their next album.

                                                                                                                                                    Album Score: 2.5/5

Track Listing

1. (If You Are Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To


2. I'm Your Daddy


3. The Girl Got Hot


4. Can't Stop Partying


5. Put Me Back Together


6. Trippin' Down the Freeway


7. Love is the Answer


8. Let It All Hang Out


9. In the Mall


10. I Don't Want to Let You Go