Weezer
Make Believe
(dgc)
Make Believe is something of an anomaly in the world of Weezer: it appears that Rivers Cuomo might have actually enjoyed the time spent in the studio this go-round. It’s somewhat of an event when Weezer drops a new record — the highly enigmatic and reclusive Mr. Cuomo, Weezer’s frontman and primary songwriter, has a penchant for benching entire albums if he feels they aren’t up to par. (Or if they conflict with his Harvard schedule.) He’s not exactly a guy you can sit down and have a beer with, but dammit if he’s not responsible for some of the smartest, catchiest pop-rock tunes from the past decade. Make Believe is no different. Simply listen to “We Are All on Drugs” and “Beverly Hills” to hear that Cuomo’s time in the studio was time well spent.
—Trevor Savory
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.