When I heard this album was coming out I immediately set my expectations low given The Red Album, Ratitude, and Hurley. After hearing Back to the Shack (the single) my expectations went up a little but I still wasn't sure what to expect. I kept reading that this was a return to form of Pinkerton and the Blue Album. As a huge Weezer geek, this definitely got me excited, but again I tried to keep my expectations in check.



I was pleasantly surprised. It's the first Weezer album where I've been able to listen from start to finish without having to skip a song - there are no "throw away songs". It's well thought out, flows nicely, and is full of Rivers' signature woahs and catchy, chunky guitar riffs. That said, it's not the Blue album or Pinkerton. It actually feels like a blend between Maladroit and Make Believe, with a little more feeling. The song-writing lacks the subtlety the first two albums had (I still don't know what Surfwax America is about) but it's a lot of fun nonetheless.



The last three tracks (together known as the Futurescope Trilogy) are nothing short of epic. Simple yet enthralling guitar riffs that come together in an amazing finale. I remember reading once that the guitar buildup and solo in Only in Dreams was compared to "the closest thing to skydiving" one could ever experience without actually getting in a plane. These tracks are the closest to achieving the harmony and excitement I feel when listening to Only in Dreams.