‘OK Human’ is a refreshing throwback to Weezer’s older music
“OK Human” is a sincere outlook on life during the pandemic
Almost everyone has that one nostalgic memory of a particular song. For me, that was playing Band Hero on my Nintendo DS, singing “Troublemaker” so offkey that my voice cracks could probably wake the dead. That was my first experience listening to Weezer, and later, when I explored my music taste, I came across them again. It was probably the closest thing I could get to the 90’s. So rest assured that when I saw that Weezer came out with the new album, “OK Human,” I was excited to listen to it.
Known for their alternative and indie genre, it was interesting to listen to what the band came up with after a two year hiatus. I must say, even though it has more orchestral elements rather than punchy guitar riffs, they did not fail to deliver another great piece of work. The album is a tell-all of how we all felt during the pandemic, things we took for granted and societal constructs we face. It’s a sincere outlook on life.
The album opens up with “All My Favorite Songs,” which is a seemingly deceiving song. The tone is rather lighthearted but when you examine the lyrics, It’s a contradictory piece which is a metaphor for life, which can often be complicated and complex.
The entire album goes back to its earlier days, drawing from instrumental rather than punchy guitar riffs notable in previous songs like “Say It Ain’t So” and “Undone” which were quite popular in the early 2000s. The new songs are equally good, even refreshing.
The transition between “Aloo Gobi” (an ode to the old ways of life before the pandemic) and “Grapes of Wrath” is exceptionally smooth as they pick up right where the other ends. They both reflect glimpses of old life: being able to go out for dinner, getting lost in a good book. Both songs lead up to “Playing my Piano” which reiterates the idea of escapism through good hobbies despite the circumstances we’ve been living through.
The reference that singer River Cuomos makes to “zoom interviews” effectively connects the listeners so that they can sympathize in the same way. No matter what lifestyle or background, the connection we all hold to a life during a pandemic is the same.
The whole first half of the album is exceptional… the second half isn’t nearly the same. The instrumental isn’t nearly as strong, and while I appreciate the desire to have a melancholic tone to the ending, it doesn’t work. Since the beginning of the album is upbeat and lighter in tone, the second half taints the work that was already done. It’s not until “La Brea Tar Pits”, the final song, where things pick up once again. The instrumental has undertones back to the first song yet they are different in the vocal context.
