Weezer - Weezer (The Teal Album) (Album Review)

If it weren’t for the campaign led by own adamant fan, Weezer wouldn’t have scored their biggest hit in decades. By much the same length, that one fan is responsible for one of Weezer’s strongest efforts in awhile, too. Weezer are back and riding their newfound success with covers in their new covers album, Weezer (The Teal Album).

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Weezer’s cover of Toto‘s ‘Africa‘ last year brought them back into the limelight after 2017’s Pacific Daydream was met with mixed reactions. ‘Africa’ was already a song you can’t help but love, and with the added Weezer flair, it became a classic all over again. The iconic cover opens the record, bringing The Teal Album to a fun and energetic start. Weezer stick primarily to the memorable cuts from between the 70s and 90s, while straying away from obvious contenders. Weezer offer up their own versions of tracks like TLC‘s ‘No Scrubs‘ and Michael Jackson‘s ‘Billie Jean,’ taking these classic tracks and adding their own personal touch to them, making them tracks of their own in that right.

Weezer make sure to stay true to the originals, but make sure to keep sense of themselves to prevent the record from stagnating. Their electrifying cover of Eurythmics‘ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)‘ brings a whole load of energy to the record, while their version of a-ha‘s ‘Take On Me‘ has a rockier drive that adds a nice bit of drive and fits Weezer’s aesthetic more closely. Weezer tackle a more direct energy in their cover of Black Sabbath‘s ‘Paranoid,’ steering away briefly from the slower, mid-tempo tracks. While covering ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World‘ by Tears For Fears, the band bring great energy and stay mostly true to the original while Rivers Cuomo‘s distinct voice swoons perfectly over the track. Not every cover is especially noteworthy, like The Turtles‘ ‘Happy Together‘ and Electric Light Orchestra‘s ‘Mr. Blue Sky,’ but every track has a familiar nature to it that gives it that perfect karaoke celebration vibe this album lives off of. The record ends sweetly with a gentle and laidback cover of Ben E. King‘s ‘Stand By Me,’ ending things in a mellow, Weezer-like way.

If there’s any band that knows how to do a cover, its Weezer. In The Teal Album, Weezer celebrate music and life by exploring some of the classics that have come to define parts of their lives. It’s hard to not enjoy this record. At the very least, Weezer will have you singing along to some of music’s finest tracks, and that’s a win in everyone’s book.

Favorite Tracks: Africa, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)

Least Favorite Track: Happy Together

Rating: 76 / 100

Stream or buy Weezer (The Teal Album) on Apple Music, and follow our 2019 Playlist on Spotify: