SZNZ: Summer

*"the new weezer ep is coming out on tuesday and i’m not making this up there’s a song on it called cuomoville"*

*--Cam Cain*

**SZNZ: Summer** is an EP by the band Weezer. It was released on 6-21-22 and reviewed by Cam on the 24th. It is the fifth Weezer album officially reviewed by Cam for #music. It is the second in a series of 4 seasons related EPs entitled SZNZ, all of which Cam will review. It received a middling review from Cam, a step up from SZNZ: Spring. He noted he enjoyed the guitars but felt the songs were once again disjointed, and he acknowledged that he may have been feeling extra generous that particular day.

## Cam's Review

### Introduction

Oh Weezer, what are we to do with you? Weezer have had more ups and downs throughout their career than an elevator factory. Since 2021’s OK Human, arguably their second great comeback album, they dropped a clunker in Van Weezer and opened up their SZNZ quartet with the baffling SZNZ Spring. And now they're going to be on Broadway??? I'm fully not expecting to enjoy SZNZ Summer, but sometimes that's when they hit you the hardest. Let's get rolling here. IT’S THE CERTIFIED CAN REVIEW

### Songs

#### Track 1: Lawn Chair

Well that’s a very on the nose summer title. There’s strings here like in OK Human. “Hey guys we should torture the humans.” Is this song about ants killing humans? What is this? What is happening? This does feel like they’re going to put it on Broadway. I don’t know what’s going on or what the deal with this song is or why it is the way that it is. I want to reserve judgement for a bit because it might be an introduction for the remainder of the album but this was a bizarre start.

2/10

#### Track 2: Records

The existence of this song means that you’ll no longer be able to buy the Blue Album on vinyl by searching “Weezer records.” Oh no that record scratch sound.  Rough start. Oh no I kinda like the chorus more than I should. It’s doing that irresistible weezer thing that I can’t describe. I like the 8th note guitar notes behind the chorus. It’s catchy and I’m kinda feeling it and I hate that about me. He feels nirvana! Or he feels Nirvana? Probably both.

5/10

#### Track 3: Blue Like Jazz

So is this song going to be jazz? My prediction is it’s going to lean almost into jazz but in an annoying way. Oh it’s starting off super aggro. He’s singing about a Rubik’s cube? This doesn’t really fit with the rest of the album. But I think I like it. It’s in 3 which I almost always like. The words aren’t particularly great but they never are. I like the guitars and that’s what Weezer is good at, even if this is a harder edge than a lot of their songs

7/10

#### Track 4: The Opposite of Me

Hm what is the opposite of Rivers Cuomo? Elton John? Deserts Cuomo? This feels like 2000s pop punk. Oh no that key change in the chorus was not good. Yeah they’re going back to that thing where the verses and the chorus feel like two different songs. Both songs are fine, but it feels really thrown together. It doesn’t even feel like a song. I don’t know what I just listened to. It’s like 6 different things that sound solid on their own but don’t mesh well. Like a weird mashup that isn’t super well done.

4/10

#### Track 5: What's the Good of Being Good?

Hm, I don’t know Rivers. Maybe because it makes you a nice person! This whole album kinda feels like he’s trying to make you think he’s a bad boy now. Oh no he’s singing about incel things. Rivers you’re literally married. I do like the guitars. Wait no he’s singing about his best friend stealing his woman? As far as I know that didn’t really happen? Oh sexy guitar solo, maybe a little brief? I think with post Pinkerton weezer there’s a certain amount of pretending it’s a foreign language and enjoying it for the sounds instead of the words. And this one sounds pretty good

6/10

#### Track 6: Cuomoville

Oh Jesus. Wait a minute I like this. “Planting peas and cabbage.” So it sounds like Cuomoville is his little place where things are good? That’s very nice and simple. “It’s a surrogate for heaven.” Oh so you’re just going to come out and say it right on the nose? What the fuck why is Cuomoville my favorite song so far? This is really good? Ok not the feed ‘em to the lions bit. Is Cuomoville a place where he can be mean to people who have wronged him? God I almost gave this one an 8 too. I may need to think about this. Hm alright

6/10

#### Track 7: Thank You and Goodnight

You’re welcome! Oh this is kinda a Black Sabbath type of opening. “Everybody laughed at me like I was a chimpanzee.” I’m not feeling this, and it definitely doesn’t feel like an album closer except for the title. I think I’ve lost the plot of this one. It’s like a movie and I feel like I missed something. I bet it was made specifically as the closer for their Broadway dealie. Either way it doesn’t make for a super enjoyable experience

3/10

### Conclusion

Happy summer, everyone! I’d say I for sure liked this one better than the Spring version. But that’s not a super high bar. It didn’t feel the most coherent. I’m happy for the return of the big Weezer guitars, and for the most part, there wasn’t anything particularly objectionable musically here. Just more of the same issue with songs feeling thrown together from bits and pieces of unfinished songs. There’s stuff to like here, and I’m curious as to what a Weezer fall album would be. I haven’t quit yet.