So We've finally reached the most recent album in Weezer's discography - their tenth overall and fourth self-titled, the 'White album'. Released on April 1st 2016, it was created after the band's manager suggested making a beach album and the final piece is obviously inspired by the Beach Boys, as well as by 90s Weezer. But does it carry on the streak of good albums after 'Everything will be Alright in the End' in 2014?
Yes it does, and does it with the most cohesive, catchy and fun album since 'Blue'. The LP starts off with 'California Kids', a fantastic opener with great guitar work and an explosive hook. 'Wind our Sail' is more of the same, but is even more innocent and fun that 'California Kids', with lyrics referencing a bunch of scientists and experiments.
'Thank God for Girls' was panned by many fans on release, but I feel like, as this was the first single, everyone was on edge about whether 'EWBAITE' had been a fluke or if the band had finally got themselves together. 'Girls' is like few other Weezer songs, with piano led verses, no final chorus and far more panicky sounding than we've heard for a while. The best thing I find about the song is what many fans hated - the lyrics. Finally, Cuomo is writing quirky, creative lyrics dripping with imagery ("I'm like an Indian Fakir tryna meditate on a bed of nails with my pants pulled down"). Plus, the lyric video is either the best or worst thing ever depending n how much you like cannolis.
'(Girl we got a) Good Thing' is the sunniest song on 'White', and is the most obviously inspired by the Beach Boys, both combining to give the song an incredibly strong atmosphere of walking down a California beach. 'Do You Wanna Get High' has an equally strong atmosphere, but one of a claustrophobic smoky room. The song sounds as if it came from a weird period between 'Blue' and 'Pinkerton', and is apocalyptic, trippy and funny all at the same time.
The next single off 'White' is 'King of the World', a personal song that Cuomo wrote to his wife that reaches the same sweet spot 'Blue' had so that the song is both detailed enough to be personal and vague enough to be relatable. Track 7 is 'Summer Elaine and Drunk Dori' which despite having a 'Raditude' sounding title is another great summer tune with a soaring chorus and Radiohead reference to boot.
'L.A. Girlz' is the best song on the album, with unexpectedly great lyrics, verses that hit with the power of a chorus and a chorus that sounds like the best thing ever. Even better is the falsetto bridge leading into the best guitar solo on the album, which is arguably the highlight of the whole disc. 'Jacked up' manages to be the most disturbing beach song ever, with Cuomo straining his falsetto to it's max in the chorus and the whole song drenched in staccato piano chords.
The album goes out with 'Endless Bummer', a momentous, building story of one boy's heartbreak at the beach that the whole album has been hinting towards. It's the best acoustic guitar balled since 'Butterfly', and ends with another amazing solo that gives 'L.A. Girlz' a run for it's money. So that's the White album, a bouncy, sunshine filled album that is in my opinion even better than 'EWBAITE' - I love every song and it's easily on the same level as 'Blue' for me, so I can do nothing but give Weezer's tenth LP an appropriate
10/10
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