Weezer
Hurley

It has been since 2008, specifically since the release of Weezer (The Red Album), that Rivers Cuomo and company have adopted the habit of launching an album into the market every year. A commercial move like this always seems very risky because inspiration, as we know, cannot always be immediate, and there is a great risk of falling into repetition or, worse, forced experimentation. This is what happened in 2009 with Raditude, a really slapdash work that tried to span from the rockabilly of (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To to the dance of Can't Stop Partying, taking advantage of the negligible collaborations of Dr. Luke and Lil' Wayne. It must be said that being Weezer is not an easy thing. Having a masterpiece debut like Weezer (The Blue Album) and spending an entire career composing good songs here and there, but overall mediocre albums, puts the listener in constant anticipation, risking disappointment with too much ease. The image and attitude of the group, however, almost always justify these ups and downs, compensated by breathtaking live performances and unrivaled humility.

As I prepare to listen to Hurley, the eighth 'effort' of Los Angeles' geek-band, I find myself somewhat prejudiced, and once the single Memories introduces the album leaving me somewhat indifferent, I am presented with some surprises. Ruling Me is a very pleasant and energetic track with power-pop tones, and while Rivers sings about yet another of his problems with women, I have an sudden urge to dash around the city and dance like a fool. I find myself a few minutes later on a bus, while I am still shaking my head like one of those silly toy dogs that people love to display proudly in the back of cars. My journey continues with the excellent Trainwrecks and Unspoken, both melancholic enough to calm and delight me at the same time. The ludicrous streak of Where's My Sex? brings me back to the typicalities of Weezer, while the heart-wrenching Run Away and Hang On flow almost imperceptibly. Smart Girls, on the other hand, is proof that the essence of this group can evolve but never change radically ("Where did all these smart girls come from, I don't think that I could choose just one!"), further demonstrated by the lack of impact that characterizes Brave New World and Time Flies, the last two songs of the album. Not very interesting are the four bonus tracks included in the deluxe edition: at least amusing, All My Friends Are Insects and the cover of Viva La Vida by Coldplay. 

From a thorough listening of Hurley emerges a pleasant, cheeky album, which possesses all the ingredients of the traditional 'Weezer recipe', certainly a breath of fresh air compared to the previous Raditude. Before putting the CD back on the shelf, I take another look at the cover: it features the large smiling face of Jorge Garcia, aka Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, the unfortunate freak from the TV series "Lost". I smile back and I am reminded of the goofy faces of Cuomo, Bell, and Wilson giving shy glances from the cover of the Blue Album. I remember once again what Weezer represents, the same as in the music videos of Buddy Holly, Hash Pipe, and Pork and Beans. Without realizing it, I am already whistling Ruling Me.