MUSE gives a teaser of new Weezer album

First came the blue album (Geffen Records). Three years later, Pinkerton. Then silence. And more silence. Rumors spread that they had broken up, that they would never record again, or that they were simply enjoying making even the most hardcore of their admirers squeeze out tears and pine for a new release. Despite everything, their fan base has remained loyal throughout the five-year drought. And finally, on May 15, the latest Weezer album will arrive to bring back the rock.

Any Weezer fan can tell you that this has been a long-awaited day. Since their first single, “Undone – The Sweater Song” graced the bandwidths in 1991, Weezer has created the kind of cultish following Michael Jackson can only dream about. Weezer fans don’t just like Weezer in an offhand sort of way. They love, adore and revere Weezer. Genuinely.

The band, comprised of vocalist/guitarist Rivers Cuomo, guitarist/vocalist Brian Bell, bassist/vocalist Mikey Welsh and drummer Patrick Wilson, represent an icon of the 1990s. After the self-described failure of Pinkerton as compared to the blue album, Weezer practically went into hibernation. Cuomo left for Harvard, got braces and grew a mustache. Bell and Wilson each worked on their respective side projects, The Spacetwins and The Special Goodness. It seemed as though that special Weezer mojo was never to be experienced again.

Yet, after a failed attempt several years back to produce a third album, Weezer is now back, alive and kicking, for better or for worse. Cuomo, who writes the majority of the band’s material, has been pessimistic about the band’s comeback in several recent interviews. However, the green album, as dubbed by Napster users, seems to be anything but a disappointment.

Weezer released “Hashpipe,” their first new single, on April 15, and while this particular song is not typical Weezer, it does not fall short of what they are obviously quite capable of doing. They easily fall into the category of geek-rock or just plain rock ‘n roll. Nevertheless, Weezer has a sound all its own. Half melancholy, half cynical lyrics with a hint of ridicule, mixed with rocking beats and guitar riffs that practically shove you to your feet and make you dance. Not that you could help yourself, anyway. And the new Weezer, regardless of Cuomo’s doubt, truly picks up right where maddeningly upbeat songs like “Getchoo,” and “El Scorcho,” left off on Pinkerton.

However, according to Cuomo, the new songs will sound more like the blue album, Weezer’s first and self-titled record than anything else. The tracks “O Girlfriend,” and “Photograph,” certainly measure up to old favorites such as “The World Has Turned and Left Me Here,” and Say It Ain’t So” in the basic sense.

While it’s clear that Weezer remains upbeat and incredibly appealing, lyrically, they have lost something essential. Whereas the blue album is filled with satirical, self-mocking lines about playing Dungeons & Dragons in garages and listening to Kiss, and dumping girls who lie and wear too much make-up, their new material lacks that unassuming edge. It is a step up for Weezer instrumentally, including an obviously more advanced sound, with a greater focus on bass (especially evident in “Hashpipe”), but a definite step down lyrically.

It’s no secret that Weezer is the most well known of the geek/retro rock bands, and an extended period of time between albums and somewhat cheesier lyrics don’t do much to tarnish their popularity or what they represent. As Cuomo sings in “Photograph,” “If you want it, you can have it/ But you gotta reach out there and grab it/ Cause everybody wants some loooooove!”

Grab it while you can, because spreading the love is what Weezer does best.