Weezer Sounds Solid From Their Place In The Shack

Weezer's next album is called "Everything Will Be Alright In The End". If the entire set sounds anything like the leadoff single "Back To The Shack" I'm inclined to agree with that assessment. A bowl of your favorite cereal doesn't have nearly as much crunch as "Shack" Please, let's not limit that sliver of praise to drumming and drumming alone. When Patrick Wilson is in full on focus mode on guitar you can tell that immediately. For "Shack" he embraces his instrument like he hasn't been anywhere near spitting distance of it for eons. Sounds like fresh Weezer, 1992 style. Rivers Cuomo would appear to be in a settled place if the lyrics give away any jumbo-sized hints. He's on good terms with papa again. He's settled down with his girl. More power to him for uttering the suggestion that we turn off those stupid singing shows, you know the ones, fizzy bottles of "Come get your chance at fifteen minutes of fame right here". Speak of bottle can we please bottle the opening riffs of Pat's guitar. That's the recipe for instant harmoniousness. His drumming is to the point as well. Each smack solid, each beat measured for maximum mind-blowing. Weezer and I both adhere to the value behind making your rock statements short and sweet. "Hash Pipe" to this day still stands as one of my all time favorite jams. To put it simply it's a endearingly stupid riff-based marvel of rock nature that only gets better the longer the song goes. "Back To The Shack" is deliberate in its quest to rock your proverbial socks off. It wants you to know it's had some time to get its head together. It's mature a hair although, to my delight, and what will likely be to the delight of the hardcore Weezer boosters not too grown up that you can't try and succeed wholeheartedly at having the time of your adrenaline saturated lives. Rivers is happy to get back to the shack, back behind the mike alongside the bandmates he knows are the best, truest version of a family he knows or likely ever will. 1994 brings up pleasurable memories for the dudes and so of course it gets its little shout out. Weezer excels at making nerds come across as the hippest badasses you could ever hope to meet. Take a flashback look at their past album covers and you'll be reminded that image conscious isn't exactly the description that hurtles forth when you see this foursome armed for bear. Rivers is totally sure that the rock world is where his feet need to remain firmly planted. He was born to rock out. That's his priceless sentiment. Nothing else really matters in the face of that ironclad, non-negotiable truth. Patrick remembered how to put the kick into kick drum. He nudges the track along slowly but surely until it reaches the irresistible finish line. Although not a swag noticeable solo in any way, shape, and form, Rivers nonetheless gives us something admirably tasty to chew on from the world in which he's freshly proclaimed he's comfortable. "Back To The Shack" is the polar opposite of a composition like "Island In The Sun" which was blissed out and floating away in its own little private happy place. With "Shack" you've got declaration of purpose writ large. You won't become a Mensa scholar after a listen but you'll smile at the machinations of four guys putting their best collective foot forward. This shack is well insulated by the intelligently filtered punch of a man, his band, and the quick and dirty lengths they'll go to remind us what a indelible force they make as a unit.