Weezer are a tricky little band, straddling two worlds in opposites. They ride high in the public consciousness due to their ubiquitous single “Buddy Holly”, the stoner anthem “Hash Pipe”, and the radio-friendly track “Island in the Sun”, yet despite their mainstream popularity, they also occupy a large space in the heart of every once-geeky hoodied rock fan due to their much-loved 1996 album Pinkerton, which achieved cult status and is highly regarded by their ardent fans. These die-hard fans, in fact, have had to prove their loyalty to the Church of Weezer ever since then really, because the LA band have taken a much different musical route in recent years. And this leads us neatly up to their new record, Ratitude.
It’s ten tracks of sing-along sunny choruses, guitar-driven verses and simplistic male-seeking-female lyrics. That’s right, you read correctly, just ten of the same song again and again. The stand-out track is definitely the lead single, “I’m Your Daddy”, which is ever so slightly grimier than the other feel-good upbeat tracks. I have to say, after song after song of repetitive identikit riffs and choruses I did fact get slightly bored, so the frankly bizarre song “Can’t Stop Partying” (which features Li’l Wayne) was a welcome – if not to say technically brilliant – interlude. Overall, it’s just a little uninspired – and thus uninteresting.
It’s definitely still the same old disappointing Pinkerton-departure for most fans, but in my reckoning it’s just an inoffensive slice of mindless pop-rock and what harm? It’s sing-along and infectious, but ultimately completely forgettable – most certainly nothing to set the fanboys’ hearts racing. In fact, the only outright offensive thing about the whole affair is a group of forty year olds crooning about being “boys” and trying to slow dance some “girls”. One of the songs is called “In The Mall” and repeats those same words endlessly, for crying out loud. Grow up, guys.
