In the notes to Alone II, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo says he identifies with Brian Wilson's self-doubt. So it's fitting that the highlight of his second home-demos set is a soaring power-pop cover of "Don't Worry Baby." Other tracks — from the joyful "The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World" to the anxiety ode "My Brain Is Working Overtime" — feel slightly undercooked. But they...

As Weezer's frontman, Rivers Cuomo has proved adept at writing jagged little pop-rock songs. But there's plenty of evidence that Cuomo is a bit, how you say, off-kilter — a talented space cadet prone to depression, sexual frustration and locking himself inside the studio, the sort of guy who may have trouble finding his pants in the morning. So you might hope this collection — demos...