Weezer

Add Date: November 3

Artist: Weezer

Album: Raditude

Label: DGC/Interscope

Genre: Rock

Comments: Spare me the story: I distinctly remember the day that Weezer's last decent album, Maladroit, came out. It was back in my middle school days and I had just started consuming the Weezer catalogue after naively rocking along with the "Hash Pipe" and "Island in the Sun" videos on The Channel Formerly Known as Music Television. "The Green Album" was pretty solid, in my mind, and I absolutely adored their first two records (Pinkerton is probably still a desert island disc for me). But I convinced my friend to bike to Best Buy with me and there we both purchased copies of Rivers Cuomo and Co.'s latest effort, which featured the sign-of-things-to-come-style single "Dope Nose." The record certainly had its moments and I loved it all the same, but little did I know how far these boys would fall with their next couple efforts.

Does Raditude follow the downward spiral? Most certainly. It's unbearably catchy -- lead single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" has a title that rivals the best of Fallout Boy's backsleeves and will be stuck in my head for days -- but even more unbearably "new Weezer": bland as hell, emotionless, and empty. I know they've grown up and torn the Kitty Pryde posters from off their walls, but they haven't aged gracefully.

On tracks like "The Girl Got Hot" and "Can't Stop Partying," Rivers rocks out about grown-up issues -- parties and girls, that is -- in a desperate plea to become the backing track to some bullshit VH1 reality show or the next American Pie movie. "Put Me Back Together" is a ray of hope at the album's center, but Ozma did it better years ago. The sitar that starts off "Love Is The Answer" turns the record from ridiculous into self-parody. If you're a Weezer fan looking for something to sink your teeth into, try Rivers' recent solo releases. Play the single.

P.S. I can't decide if Lil Wayne's guest spot on "Can't Stop Partying" is brilliant or further testament to The Fall of Weezer. Weezy's rhymes are the one genuine thing on here, I guess.