Possibly best remembered for their 1995 hit 'Buddy Holly' due to its Spike Jones directed Happy Days-spoofer vid and the utterly ace best-tune-about-knitwear-ever 'Undone' ('if you want to destroy my sweatuuuurrrrr! Hold this thread as I walk away…etc') Weezer went on to tour the Earth, release a largely unnoticed second album (1996's 'Pinkerton') - and in foxin'-geek-chic frontman Rivers Cuomo's case- have a serious leg operation and return to college for a few years.
Now, a few years and a shift in personnel later (original bassist Matt Sharp left a few years ago to concentrate on his synth-based outfit The Rentals), Weezer are back! Back! Back! to have words with the likes of Blink 182, Wheatus and other nerd-punkers that trailed in their wake.
Having come up with about 90 minutes of music in seven years, 'The Green Album' will probably irk the size queens at lasting only 30 minutes, but as the adage goes, it's what you do with it that counts, and happily not a moment is wasted. This album also reunites the band with ex-Cars type Ric Ocasek, who did the knobs on the first album, adding a sheen of new wave power nous to the proceedings.
Being so tune-ridden, 'The Green Album' is hard to dislike especially as after a couple of plays tracks like 'Photograph', and the super-catchy 'Island In The Sun' sound like you've known them for years. 'Smile', and 'O Girlfriend' even have the melodic ring of a grungier Travis (no, really) about them, whilst album closer 'I Do' is just utterly lovely, chiming hymnally over electric piano in total lighters aloft mode.
An album of two halves, 'Green' has its pop, counterbalanced with its noise-outs but above all, it's a very traditional, straightforward tunesome half hour which slots in effortlessly with its predecessors. A welcome return? Oh yes.
