By Phillip Levin / Asst. Inscape Editor
(Geffen Records)
By Phillip Levin / Asst. Inscape Editor
Weezer’s latest album, “Raditude,” is one that you’ll either love or hate.
Fans of Weezer are well-known for being a divided bunch.
One group holds onto the band’s earlier albums, such as “Pinkerton” and “The Blue Album,” scoffing at anything released after the latter.
The other group digs the more pop-esque sound of the band’s more recent work.
It’s the second group that’s likely to love “Raditude.”
The first camp, though, will no doubt shake their heads at Weezer’s latest work.
“Raditude” is easily the most pop, mainstream-style Weezer album yet.
Contrasting the emo feel of earlier Weezer albums, this one is upbeat and energetic. Just look at the album title.
It’s typical Weezer style, the lyrics are questionable and often ridiculous.
The song titles this time around, in particular, are even sillier.
One look at the track list, and you’ll know the album isn’t exactly serious.
“(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To,” “I’m Your Daddy,” “The Girl Got Hot” and “Tripping Down the Freeway” are examples of some of the tracks on “Raditude.”
The album begins with “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To,” which was released as a single a couple of months ago is probably the most easily likable song on “Raditude.”
It’s fast-paced and upbeat. It’s easy to listen to, and it’s hard to imagine too many people disliking the track.
It’s a good example of the overall personality and feel of “Raditude.”
Following it is “I’m Your Daddy,” which is yet another easy-to-like track.
It has a catchy beat, and the song gets going right away.
The next song, though — “The Girl Got Hot”–is a perfect example of a song that old-school Weezer fans will simply love to hate.
The lyrics are absolutely silly. One line reads, “The thing I finally found with these other girls in town, she got hot, they did not.”
You can imagine the facial expression of any diehard, traditional Weezer fan listening to this track for the first time, and it isn’t pretty.
Next up is “Can’t Stop Partying,” which mixes rock with rap and even features Lil Wayne.
The song’s a complete departure from Weezer’s normal style, but that aside, it’s pretty catchy.
Most of Weezer’s stuff isn’t exactly party music, but “Can’t Stop Partying” is a step in that direction, hence the title.
It’s not something you’d expect from Weezer.
“Put Me Back Together,” “Love is the Answer” and “Let it All Hang Out,” meanwhile, are closer to what you’d expect from a Weezer album.
All of these songs have the Weezer feel to them and are less pop-ish or R&B-ish.
The album is available in several different editions.
There is a standard edition that can be downloaded from Amazon for $3.99 and a deluxe edition with bonus tracks that will run $19.98.
For big fans the standard edition is available with the Weezer Snuggie for $30 and for superfans the deluxe edition is available with a Weezer zebra Snuggie for $50.
The only thing Weezer fans will likely agree upon when it comes to “Raditude” is that it’s quite different from any of their other albums.
That said, “Raditude” is a fun, enjoyable album if you can get past the fact that it’s totally different from anything else the band has done.
Unfortunately, it’s likely that most Weezer fans won’t be able to do that.
