Weezer’s 20th LP, widely dubbed The Gold Album, features a self-referential quiet-loud rocker intentionally structured as a “sequel” to 1994’s “Undone (The Sweater Song)”. A casual fan might be skeptical, but the end result is heartening, with the band mirroring the angst of their early work with an unfussy clean-to-fuzz arrangement. The album captures a spirit of Weezer looking back at their career arc, musing about keeping the show on the road, and it’s also their funniest, rawest, and most musically spry album since at least 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright in the End.
Channeling the Early Work
The album’s concept doesn’t sound great on paper, but the execution is notable. The song “C.E.O.” opens with a twinkling guitar arpeggio and overdubbed background chatter, echoing the Blue Album classic, and Rivers Cuomo speak-sings in the intro, “Cranking out another ’90s jam/ Wish I could do something new,” showcasing the band’s willingness to push forward while acknowledging their past. The song feels real, both in the lyrics and in the arrangement, which is reminiscent of the earnestness that made so much of the “Undone” era compelling.
A New Chemistry
Weezer has worked with a staggering amount of producers over the decades, but they seem to have struck a unique chemistry with their latest collaborators, Klas Åhlund and Kenneth Blume. The producers’ objective was to make “the most violent Weezer album ever,” and they got pretty damn close. The album’s opener, “Say Yes,” swells into geek-rock glory, with power-chord fuzz, overdriven guitar leads, distorted bass, and Rivers Cuomo‘s ever-youthful falsetto.
A Human Touch
The end result breathes in a way most modern Weezer albums haven’t, with occasional tape hiss, slices of in-studio chatter, and organic tempo changes. The band kept the writing in-house this time, with Rivers Cuomo‘s bandmates more involved in the process. Patrick Wilson is a clear MVP, elevating every track with naturalistic, dynamic drumming. Brian Bell also co-writes four songs, including the anthemic “We Might as Well Be Strangers,” which climaxes with a heart-tugging, head-spinning rhythmic flourish.
The album’s flourishes don’t land as nostalgia bait; they resonate because they’re lively and authentic, capturing the vibe of a great rock band leaning into being a great rock band. As they sing on “The LA Sound,” “You can’t fake the real thing,” and on The Gold Album, you can feel that they feel it. The album is a testament to Weezer‘s ability to experiment with new styles while maintaining a solid song-by-song batting average, and it’s a must-listen for fans of the band.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
