Weezer Album Review: “EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT IN THE END” Dropped Oct. 7

By Julie Oatfield /// Staff Writer

Weezer’s new album, “Everything Will Be Alright in the End,” finally hit digital & brick-and-mortar record stores on Oct. 7. Swoopy guitar riffs and catchy rock ballad choruses provide the album’s base, as they generally do in Weezer albums, but Cuomo makes sure to maintain stylistic freedom. For good measure, he sprinkles in some harmonicas, Prince-like vocals and even a tender duet with Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino in “Go Away.” The album opens new doors, from singing about Cuomo’s improved relationship with his father to a mysterious “Eulogy For A Rock Band.”

In between exploring these newer ideas, fans’ ears will perk up in nostalgia at songs that could have fit into well-loved albums, including the Blue Album (1994) and, of course, Pinkerton (1996). “Lonely Girl” is a gem of classic Weezer, with Cuomo’s vocals coming off as an impassioned, sentimental puppy with a bear trap clamped on his heart.

The backing harmonies of drummer Pat Wilson, guitarist Brian Bell, and bassist Scott Shriner, in addition to their smooth but unique instrumentation, turn an otherwise simple song into a flood of empathy. Quirks in other songs’ lyrics hearken back to previous albums: personally, I’m convinced the feelings behind the line “I went to your room and read your diary” from Pinkerton’s “El Scorcho” found a more modern place in the new album’s song “Da Vinci” as “I looked you up on ancestry.com.”

As a whole, the album can stand alone with quality songs about isolation, love, resisting conformity and mundane life, and dealing with change over time. Since it’s so deeply connected to the band’s repertoire, it sounds even better mixed in with songs off other albums. The band remains incredibly talented at making something you can connect with and listen to in any decade because it’s experimented enough to remain interesting even during its period of practically made-for-radio pop rock music — think “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To.” Everything from Cuomo’s funky lyrics, melodic twangs from Bell’s Les Paul and extra crashes from Pat’s drumkit keep the music fresh and make everything alright in the end.