What is Weezer doing?!

Ever since I saw their video for Buddy Holly when I was much younger, Weezer  has been an obsession of mine.  The Blue Album may be my favorite debut album ever, and their sophomore album Pinkerton is one of the most underrated albums of the 90's.  However, since those two albums Weezer has gradually changed.  All of their albums since then have had more humorous lyrics rather than heartfelt ones, and the once powerful alternative rock sound they had has evolved into more pop, radio friendly music.  Don't get me wrong, there are songs that they made after Pinkerton that I love (see Perfect Situation, Photograph, Dope Nose etc.).  However, their last album, Ratitude, was not good at all in my opinion.  The only song on that album with serious lyrics is one that the All-American Rejects helped write with Rivers Cuomo.  Despite all of this, I still try and see Weezer in concert whenever they play anywhere in the tri-state area (I even own a ukulele that Rivers handed to me when I saw the band in Atlantic City back in May!).  But now they are pushing it.

Their new album, Hurley, is set to be released on September 14.  It will be their first release since leaving Geffen Records; the band signed with "indie" label Epitaph Records this past week.  On the cover of the album is (drumroll please) Jorge Garcia, i.e. Hurley from the TV show Lost. I don't understand how anyone is going to take this seriously.  Just when I thought they couldn't top the flying dog on the cover of Ratitude.  To make matters worse, a few days ago the band released their first single off of the new album, a song called Memories.  I cringed and was so disappointed as I was listening to it.  Never has Weezer made such a... mainstream, Z100 sounding song.  And with a new record label, an indie one nonetheless, Weezer is going to have much more freedom to experiment.  Let's hope they experiment on making another album like Pinkerton.