Weezer - a. k. a. the Green Album - proves that the band was smart to wait out the lean years. They actually took the time to make a totally crunk geek-punk record, buzzing through ten excellent tunes in less than half an hour with zero filler and enough psychosexual contortions to buy Cuomo's shrink another hot tub. Original bassist Matt Sharp has long since departed to make his own techno records with the Rentals, which certainly seemed like a good career move at the time; otherwise, Cuomo assembles the old lineup to bash out 1994-style crunch-guitar nuggets like "Don't Let Go," "Hashpipe" and "Simple Pages." In the five years since Pinkerton, Cuomo has gotten more oblique about his girl troubles - there's no "El Scorcho" or "Pink Triangle" here, which is a shame. But with the surging final ballad, "O Girlfriend," taking that crucial millimeter of a step toward maturity, Weezer deserve a huge hand for making the world safe again for frayed cardigans and nerd glasses, not to mention paving the way for the now-inevitable Gin Blossoms reunion tour.

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ROB SHEFFIELD

(Posted: May 14, 2001)