Weezer - "Raditude"

It's been a while since Weezer has released an album I've actually been interested in. Raditude seems like it's a good edition to Weezer's list - yet still a bit made-for-the-radio sounding on some songs. The lead-singer, Rivers Cuomo, definitely wrote some very catchy choruses for this album.

While perusing through the songs, I was shocked to hear Lil' Wayne (among other surprising additions). At the sound, I stopped to make sure I was actually still listening to Weezer. I pretty much had that feeling throughout this entire album, as there were definitely a few deviations from the norm...

For some odd reason, Weezer also decided to put a little bit of Indian (the country) influence on this album. "Love is the answer" features some crazy instrumentals and is totally hippy sounding considering the lyrics.

"The Underdogs" reminded me of a Ben Lee song on first listen, and continues to do so almost every time. Not only is the song slow, but Rivers sings in almost an identical style to Ben Lee's and his voice even sounds similar. Seriously, take a listen to a slower Ben Lee song and compare it to this one. You'll see exactly what I'm talking about.

I commend the band's effort to think outside of the box. Not sure how much I'll like this album after I keep listening to it though. Their older stuff seems better off the bat, but I'll give the new sound a try.

My vote: 3 stars
My favorite tracks: "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDIzMGh94vo & "The Girl Got Hot" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovEoRAXf6zc