Weezer (The Black Album) (Cassette)
Weezer
Amoeba Review
09/03/2020
Weezer's twelve studio album pairs Rivers Cuomo's characteristically strong melodies with lightweight, observational lyrics, continuing his theme of referencing California or Los Angeles. Trading in the crunchy guitar sound for a slicker, sometimes 80s-flavor – with a clever nod to The Police's “So Lonely” in “Living In L.A.” - Cuomo's vocals are often more compressed here, except on gentler tracks like “High As A Kite.” “Can’t Knock The Hustle” can fill in for the now expected comedic/experimental Weezer song, while “California Snow,” despite a rapping verse, is built around a satisfyingly soaring pop chorus. The strongest track might be “I'm Just Being Awesome,” which has a subdued catchiness and fades out with a lovely guitar line.