Maladroit

by

Weezer

Edit

A wise friend of mine, after listening to this latest effort by Weezer, noted that Maladroit is to Green as Pinkerton is to Blue - and I think I agree. After all, Green is fairly light and fluffy, while Maladroit is a bit harder-edged. (While Pinkerton isn't *hard*, it's raw and rough, and though Blue is quirky, it has a decidedly cleaner sound.) And of course, both color-themed albums are almost instantly accessible, while Pinkerton and Maladroit take a wee bit more time to grow.

Yet Maladroit is really nothing like the others. Of course, no Weezer album is like another - each has its own distinct sound, and Maladriot's sound is pure and simple guitar rock. (And for once, the guitar solos don't merely mimic the chorus!) My guess is that "Dope Nose" will be the equivalent of "Hash Pipe" or "Buddy Holly" - the radio-friendly hit that is likely to be almost played to death. But there are other great songs to hear as well. "Burndt Jamb" stands out from much of the album - it's pretty damn catchy, too. "Take Control" has an entirely different sound from any other Weezer song I've ever heard . . . but this is no bad thing. Most of the other songs are really good, too - there's nothing that makes me reach for the skip button as yet. So yeah, ok, this is a lot different - but it's a good thing.

But then, that's the best thing about Weezer. Each album so far is unique from the overall work, unlike albums that have a lot of variety on each CD. Weezer's varied, but they're mostly the same ambience (for lack of a better word) from song to song on each album. This makes for nice mood-setting: if you're depressed and/or lonely, listen to Pinkerton; if you're feeling beachy and bubblegum, try Green; for your geeky days, have a bit of Blue; and when you want simple-yet-clever, catchy guitar rock, go for Maladroit.

Maladroit, Weezer's 4th Studio album, is probably more appealing to major fans than to the general record-buying public. A great album. I picked it up today, being a big Weezer fan and all, but was dissapointed by the lack of depth like in the Blue Album and Pinkerton. While this is a decent album, make no mistake that it does rock, but it just seems like Rivers Cuomo (Weezer's Frontman & Songwriter) is writing songs just for the sake of saying so. The Blue Album was really fun, Pinkerton was so emotional, and The Green Album was rockin' at a radio friendly pace. But the blandness of Maladroit is only so compared to the last three albums. The Blue Album should not have been their first, because it was so good that nothing is going to or has yet compared to it. Maladroit is a definite buy for rock fans, but where has the geeky, frustrated and much more distorted Weezer that I used to love? I'd hate to say it, but it probably died when Matt Sharp left. A definite must have for hardcore Weezer fans, though. Standout tracks are: "Dope Nose", "American Gigolo", "Take Control" and "Burndt Jamb".