Weezer

After the affable power pop that brought Weezer an international audience, Pinkerton is a blindsiding tempest of guitars and high-volume bash, featuring singer/songwriter Rivers Cuomo in the throes of cathartic, articulate nerd rage, ready to vent about sexual frustrations and obsessions with half-Japanese girls. A sales dud at the time of its release, the record's standing has only grown in the years since. And rightly so -- it's brilliant.

Although no one in the band originally hails from Southern California, Weezer have got the
sound and attitude of early-'60s Los Angeles down. Melodies bounce with vigor; in the
lyrics, help is just a sunshiny day away. There is still plenty of Weezer's signature
dorkiness on Pinkerton, the follow-up to their successful 1994 debut, Weezer. Guitars veer
off key; tempos speed up for no apparent reason. But what you get is true to th... More >