Weezer have a brand new album called Raditude, which hits stores October 27. In anticipation of what will be the band's seventh record, the single "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" hit the Internet late last night (a week before its scheduled August 25 drop date). Since we both take Rivers Cuomo very seriously, I had the following e-mail exchange with MTV News' James Montgomery.
Kyle: So Weezer have a new album, which now has a title (Raditude) and a single ("(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To"). What do you think of both?
James: So it's not exacly breaking news, but being a Weezer fan is kind of like being in an abusive relationship (or a Lifetime Movie, as I wrote two years ago): You want to leave them so, so badly, but you just can't because you love them, and you remember the good times, and you think that maybe — just maybe! — they've changed. Only they haven't, and you just end up heartbroken and hurt and betrayed by them. This has happened with basically every Weezer album released this decade, and it's happening again now that they've got a new one hitting stores in October. Aside from the title, the single is genuinely pretty decent: A shuffling bit of power pop, Rivers Cuomo exploring all things geeky and unsure. It is certainly not offensive, which automatically gives you hope that Weezer are finally back. But then they announce that their new album is called Raditude, and all of a sudden you realize that it's just gonna be more of the same — that you are going to be let down and hurt once again. I'm not alone in thinking this (just look at every comment on every blog that posted a link to the new song). Everyone used to be in love with Weezer. And no one can quit them, for better or much, much worse.
Kyle: I think I've had a similar experience with Weezer: Loved the first album, fetishized Pinkerton, mourned their brief disappearance, got excited over the "Green" comeback, raised an eyebrow at Maladroit, thought Make Believe was one of the worst albums of the decade, then thought "Red" was even worse. Raditude certainly ranks up with with Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water and Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King in silliness (Editor's Note: Apparently, we have Rainn Wilson to blame for this), so let's just pretend that's not happening right now. I've listened to the single several times now, and I really love the music and the chorus, but I cannot get over Rivers Cuomo's verses. And I'm not even a guy who normally gets hung up on lyrics, but man, Cuomo drives me nuts. He's still writing gags like it's 1996. Those lines about meat loaf and Slayer t-shirts really get under my skin for some reason. And it's really bizarre, because I've interviewed him and he's a really thoughtful, well-spoken guy, but that's not in his songs anywhere any more. Did you ever hear "Everybody Get Dangerous" from the last album? A disaster.
James: Your Weezer experience is not unlike 90 percent of every Weezer fan's experience (and don't even get me started on that remaining 10 percent, the Weezer apologists out there who might just be the most annoying people on the planet). Anyway, back to the song: It's instantly better than pretty much anything on "Red" or (shudder) Make Believe. If there is any portion of the band's post-Matt Sharp catalog I don't find grating, it's the moments when they A) still sound like the same band that made Pinkerton ("Hash Pipe," and to a lesser extent "We Are All On Drugs"), or B) just go pure pop ("Island In The Sun" comes to mind). This is pretty much straight "B" (and I don't think "A" is ever coming back again), and I think it'll make a nice addition to my burgeoning summer jam catalog, so you know, I'll take it. But on the topic of Rivers' lyrics … jeebus. I'm with you on the whole super rote, ultra-geeky pop culture/'70s rock name drops, but what bothers me even more is how Cuomo has basically been playing the same shtick — that of the nerdy man-child — for two decades now, and the dude's 40 years old. He has a wife and child! He is clearly competent enough to stand trial here, so I wish he'd stop fumbling around like "Rain Man," ditch the moustaches and the high-water pants and just make like Mike Gundy already. You know, "I'm a man! I'm 40!"
Kyle: Oh man, the Weezer apologists are the worst. But then those are the people who are still sending around LOLCats, right? I mean, they're sort of Cuomo's people. And as for the lyrics, has there ever been a case of an artist's lyrics actually pulling back from something as personal and gut-wrenching as Pinkerton? I mean to go from something that is clearly personal to something so shallow. The only one I can think of is that one No Doubt record (Return of Saturn) that was all about growing up, getting old and being famous, and by the next album they were writing "Hella Good." So to sum up: We're relatively positive on the song and remain cautiously optimistic on the album?
James: I remain realistically pessimistic about the album. The ball is in your court, Mr. Cuomo.