Released: 10/7/2014
Stars: 5/7
The last decade of Weezer albums has left a lot of people unhappy with the band they’ve become (see Ratitude). Hype was low for the new album Everything Will Be Alright In The End, as most people prematurely passed it off as another humdrum, nothing special, post 90’s Weezer album. And thanks to a few of their singles, like “Back to the Shack,” this mentality didn’t seem to be far from the truth.
But guess what, folks? The 90’s Weezer we all loved is back.
Everything Will Be Alright In The End begins with the track “Ain’t Got Nobody.” If you aren’t sold on the album by the end of this song, you might as well stop. The song’s heavy on guitar, and reminiscent of the good ol Weezer. It’s loud, its lyrically angsty, and lets you know exactly what to expect for the rest of the album.
If you’re looking for a classic Weezer song, look no further than “Lonely Girl.” The melodic guitars and hooks the band plays are reminiscent of the Green Album. In fact, it is so much like the album that it would fit right in with other classics, like "Island In The Sun."
One of the most emotional songs on the album is “Foolish Father,” and is no doubt about Cuomo’s relationship with his own father. Rivers Cuomo wrote some of his most compelling lyrics in this song, such as, “think of how destroyed he feels/ walking to his grave plot/ knowing that the one he loves/ hates him with all of her heart.” But the lyrics aren’t even the best part. If you don’t tear up a little when the guitars fade out and a chorus of kids sings “everything will be alright in the end,” then you are probably heartless. And if you don’t feel like calling your father and telling him how much you love him after the guitars pick up again harder than before, then you obviously don’t get music.
The heightened, emotional feeling “Foolish Father” leaves you with isn’t lost so easily, especially when the best part of the album is yet to come. The magical “The Futurescope Trilogy” closes the album out. It’s an almost completely instrumental triad of songs that do nothing but build and build and build on golden guitar solos and harmonies until you’re listening to music the size and worth of Fort Knox. If you listen to nothing else, listen to (and be completely blown away by) the pure electric genius of the trio.
Overall, the album is far from what was expected. While there are a few songs that dip below the others in the “amazing” scale (see “Back to the Shack” and “Go Away”), the album is fantastic. Even those songs that aren’t as great are only “not so good” in comparison to the rest of the album, and pure genius is hard to beat. Everything Is Alright In The End has more than redeemed Weezer for it’s past mistakes, and is easily their best album since Blue and Pinkerton.
Recommended tracks:
- “Ain’t Got Nobody”
- “Foolish Father”
- “The Futurescope Trilogy”
- “I. The Wasteland”
- “II. Anonymous”
- “III. Return To Ithaka”
