--Ada Wofford
----Released 29 January 2021
Ok Weezer, what have you concocted this time? Ever since Pinkerton, Weezer has had an identity crisis. What is now a beloved album was despised upon release, and the poor reception sent Rivers Cuomo into a tailspin. Eventually, the band regrouped and released the Green Album—An album that sounds like a band trying to sound like Weezer. It's a fine album, but there's no heart, no identity. Ironically, three months after the release of the Green Album, a little band called Ozma released their debut LP, Rock and Roll Part Three, which managed to do the whole Weezer-thing, better than the actual Weezer.
The next decade consisted of a parade of hit or miss (mostly miss) tracks from Weezer. Even the fan favorite, Maladroit has a handful of stinkers on it. My favorite album post Green is the White Album, but good lord, what the fuck is up with "Thank God for Girls?" And now, in this foul year of our Lord, 2021, amidst a pandemic, and weeks after a bunch of maniacs tried to overthrow the US government, Weezer hits us with an album named after Radiohead's biggest record. Where the fuck am I?
Stranger still, is the premise: No electric guitars, no computers, straight to tape, no click-track, and a 38-piece orchestra. This has all the makings of something terrible. But somehow, against all odds, Weezer has created something genuinely impressive and honestly, quite magical. Of course, it sounds nothing like the Weezer you know. I think they should have released the album under a different name. I can't imagine hearing a song off Ok Human in a typical Weezer set. Maybe that's why they made it now, when's there's no touring. And when touring starts up, they'll be promoting Van Weezer, not Ok Human. Whatever the reason, I'm glad they made this album. I feel like this is what I've been waiting for Rivers to do for the past ten years: To really mature as a songwriter. As much as I love the heavy power-chord infused power pop that Rivers basically invented, I always wondered why he didn't shift gears as he got older and tried to make something impressive, rather than commercially successful. It's funny that this album is named after a Radiohead album because this could potentially be Weezer's Kid A moment. The moment where they shed all expectation and do their own thing, their own way. It's probably not their Kid A moment, but you never know.
We got a taste of Weezer starting to mature at the end of Everything Will Be Alright In The End, where the band stitched together a three-track prog rock epic. I remember hearing that and thinking, "Hey, they finally realized their age." But then they followed that with, "I Love the USA" and "Thank God for Girls." Two of the dumbest songs anyone's ever heard. The White Album has true classics on it such as, "LA Girls" and "Do You Want to Get High," but they still felt strange coming from middle-aged men. OK Human is a testament of what these guys are capable of in both songwriting and musicianship.
Now, I don't know the details of who wrote what and who played what, but given this is a Weezer album and not a Rivers Cuomo album, I'm assuming everyone had some hand in its creation. The album is lush with strings and piano. The orchestra arrangements are really what carry this album. The songs themselves are not necessarily that impressive but the arrangements are so rich and beautiful you find yourself listening much more closely than you would typically listen to a rock album. Even after multiple listens, you are surprised and delighted moment to moment by the dense layers of harmony and rhythm. Clever little fills and riffs popping up like bubbles in a coke. It's truly a delightful album to listen to.
I've always noticed that no one ever says they hate classical music. They might not like it, but no one grimaces at a piece by Bach and asks you to switch the station because it's giving them a headache. Obviously, this album is not on par with Bach, but the orchestral arrangements are so well done and so dominating that I doubt anyone could truly hate this album. The vocals are Rivers', so maybe you hate his vocals. Fine. The lyrics are kind of stupid, whatever. But the music is nothing but enjoyable.
The only thing musically that really bugs me on this album is the drums. They might have recorded on tape at Abbey Road, but it's a very contemporary mix/production. The drums are way too tight and punchy for an album like this. It sounds like Patrick Wilson showed up and had no idea what was going on and just played what he'd normally play on a Weezer album (EDIT: I was right! Wilson recorded the drums hearing the tracks for the first time while Rivers played them on acoustic guitar. Rivers discusses it on this episode of Broken Record.) The bass drum is far too prominent in the mix. There'll be this beautiful arrangement of strings and piano, and then THUD, THUD, THUD punching through. It's ridiculous. The last track, "La Brea Tar Pits," is the only track where the drums somewhat fit the mix, but that's it. On the gorgeous and melancholic, "Dead Roses" you get a bit of relief as the percussion is just sticks clicking together, but it's spoiled when you hear the THUD, THUD of a punchy, modern-sounding kick drum ruining everything.
If you can get past the stupid drums and the rather juvenile lyrics, this album is a real treat. Rivers' voice doesn't always quite fit the mood, but on tracks like "Numbers" and "Grapes of Wrath," he fits right in. In fact, "Grapes of Wrath" might be the most interesting track on the album because of how it bridges the gap between the Weezer you know and this new orchestral hybrid. It's a bouncing, catchy pop song that you can easily imagine being played in classic Weezer fashion; power chords and all. I never thought I'd be singing the phrase, "I'm gonna rock my Audible," but here I am. Lead single, "All My Favorite Songs" is a master class in capital P pop. It's at a "Mr. Blue Sky" level of catchiness, cheeriness, and arrangements. It's just great. And it will totally worm its way into your ear, lay eggs, and never leave.
The secret to really enjoying this album is forgetting that it was made by Weezer. If you're looking for the next "Buddy Holly" or "Keep Fishin'," wait until May and maybe it'll be on Van Weezer. If you're looking for something refreshing, a bit different, but also a bit familiar, check this out. And especially check it out if you're a fan of 60s Baroque pop like The Beatles and The Beach Boys. I sort of love hating on new Weezer releases, but this album genuinely impressed me. It's just plain good. I can't fault it. Give it a chance. Listen to "All My Favorite Songs" below:
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