When critiquing Weezer, it comes down to a question of audience. Are young kids listening to Weezer? Are old fans still sticking around simply out of loyalty? For the first group, it is easy to see the fist-pumping joy that a song like "Pork and Beans" (among the album's better tracks) should elicit; for the second, it's a sad reminder of better songs in the same vein ("El Scorcho," from Pinkerton). Still, the bouncy "Dreamin'" is almost impenetrable to attacks. Sappy and a bit overlong, the tune is Weezer at their finest, complete with sweetly disgruntled lyrics, a building midsection and plenty of grand, explosive pop gestures.
Ultimately, "The Red Album"--probably time to ditch that tired trick, gang--is not without its serviceable moments, and, more importantly, can serve a couple of purposes this summer: Played on a shitty boombox across a pool or during moments of euphoric highs, it is vacuously tolerable; if such moments should not present themselves, it also makes a fantastic coaster.
