There are two types of Weezer albums: those that have name and then those that don't have a name so we have to recognize them by their color. All the Weezer records falling into the second category are slightly better, so everyone took their new album Pacific Daydream with skepticism, especially considering the quality of singles that preceded its release.
However, Pacific Daydream turned out to be a typical Weezer album with as less surprises as possible. It is a well rounded material generated during an easy ride down the Californian coast with the wind in their hair and good vibes in their cabrio. With such a theme, Weezer sound good, although they do not offer anything intriguing that would make you listen to the album more than few times. Last year's White album was an homage to summer love, so Pacific Daydream comes as natural sequel, and I have few issues with that. Rivers is not so young to sing about these silly adventures anymore, even though his main audience is still teen generation. Verses such as She loves me/ She loves me not are blatantly showing that he is not trying to run away from teen fans, yet it would be better If he gave up on millennial jokes because they are not his shtick anymore.
The second issue is that this summer tone is released right before the winter. I have a feeling listeners would be able to appreciate it more If they were able to listen to it on their summer vacation, although I am currently in Goa, chilling by the ocean and I still don't find Pacific Daydream as the perfect beach vibez soundtrack. Apropos beach, many have already compared Weezer with The Beach Boys, calling them the modern version of the cult band, but these comparisons are semi-biased. Weezer are trying too hard to embellish their melodies in any way possible, but it all lacks grit and substance, especially when you know what were they capable of pulling off in their two decade long career.
Opening track Mexican Fender is what Weezer represents today. Simple tricks designed to lure younger audience come off as pathetic strategies nerd has when he approaches popular girl. Still, it is clear why this song was chosen as a single. The most interesting piece on the record lies in its center and its called Weekend Woman. Weezer's spirit is to be felt here in a retro scheme enticed by a catchy chorus. Long story short, this is a type of song we would expect from Weezer on their 11th album, but it stands as an isolated case among mediocre tracks.
I think we are all aware that the best days of Weezer are behind us. Every once in a while, they drop a great single that reminds us of the old Weezer, but then average albums overshadow this positive sentiment. I believe the only reason why they release new albums is that they could go on tours, and that makes me sad. Simply, Weezer are lost in space and time.
