IN REVIEW: Weezer - "Pacific Daydream"

It's time to call a spade a spade; Weezer has been in a borderline abusive relationship with the majority of its fan base for the better part of the last twenty years. Every time they underwhelm with a failed attempt at Top 40 domination and we say "enough is enough", they come crawling back with more crunchy power pop nostalgia and eventually win us back, only to go chasing that elusive mainstream success again.

So, in a way, we should have known Pacific Daydream was going to find Rivers Cuomo in full hit-chasing mode again. Even still, it's kind of jarring just how blatant the attempt is time around. You'd have thought Weezer would have learned their lesson when Raditude fell flat on its face nearly a decade ago (and there were seemingly lessons learned judging from the three following records), and yet here we are again being presented with tune after tune of polished, shiny pop with mainstream aspirations.

Mexican Fender, with its power chords and colourful chorus, turns out to be a red herring, a promise of rock that is quickly and frequently abandoned throughout. Feels Like Summer, the head-scratching sugar rush that dropped six months ago, is sadly more indicative of the album as a whole; while that's no doubt fine for those who get their music fix listening to popular radio stations or the Top Hits playlist on Spotify (which, it should come as no real surprise, Cuomo admitted to studying while working on this album), for us seasoned professionals of Weezer disappointment it's just another slap in our already reddened faces.

What's all the more disappointing about Weezer's latest stunt is that they proved just a year and a half ago that they could incorporate pop elements into their sound and make it work; the "white album" was of a similar mindset thematically, but the music at least made sense and the execution exceeded expectations. Here, those moments are few and far between, replaced with hollow shells of Train and Imagine Dragons songs that are tailor made to break into a market that has refused them entry at every turn. It equates to a group of middle aged guys throwing on some outfits they picked out at whatever store at the mall seemed hippest to them, then trying to fit in at a high school party.

While there isn't anything quite as egregious as, say, Can't Stop Partying (the ill-conceived Lil' Wayne collab that's my go-to when illustrating Weezer's history of pop disasters and Exhibit A when arguing Raditude as the band's worst album), and some songs are undeniably catchy, there also isn't much of anything that sounds like Weezer as we know them no matter what era you best know them for. A lot of rock bands folded pop sensibilities into their sound this year (see: QOTSA, Foo Fighters, Portugal. The Man, Linkin Park, etc.), but no rock band in 2017 has crafted an album as brazen, formulaic and contrary to their fans' interests as Weezer. Enough is enough.

October 27, 2017 • Crush/Atlantic
Highlights Mexican Fender • Weekend Woman • QB Blitz

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2013 Nominee: Arctic Monkeys

ARCTIC MONKEYS Do I Wanna Know? From: AM Released: September 10 That Year in Rock 2012's Single of the Year R U Mine? ended up on this album is pleasing, and it fits the motif well enough. But R U Mine? isn't what makes Arctic Monkeys' fifth album an Album of the Year contender. Sweaty, sultry and pulsing with sexual energy, AM is the kind of record that's just as effective whether you're chilling out after a long day, staring into a mirror prepping yourself for a late night clubbing session or setting the mood for some escapades in the boudoir.

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up! What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...

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