Weezer — Make Believe

You're only as good as your last album. It's a familiar adage that Weezer should pay attention to — until the band release their next record, people are going to wonder what the hell happened to their lovable quirky power-pop foursome. Actually, people have been scratching their heads since The Green Album and Maladroit, but have been willing to chalk up two mediocre albums to fluke.

With Make Believe it's difficult to stay in denial. Sure, there will always be the catchy hooks, interesting harmonies and Weezer's familiar distortion, but there's nothing here that recalls the genius of The Blue Album or the dark and sincere emotion of Pinkerton.

Right from the start, Weezer prove that the creative bone in their body is severely broken. "Beverly Hills," the band's first single, pilfers from Steve Miller's "The Joker," not only ripping off a vocal melody, but stealing the song's background effects too. And it doesn't get any better from there. Comparing their more recent releases with their first two, you have to wonder — were Weezer ever really that good or were we just crying out for something other than grunge?

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