Weezer'Maladroit'

Geffen Records

Grade: A

Weezer's back . with a vengeance. Or so it would seem, as their latest release, "Maladroit," comes only one year after "The Green Album" officially ushered in their comeback. There also seems to be a pattern emerging with Weezer - release one perfectly-produced, poppy album in a bold color with pictures of band members on it ("The Blue Album" and "The Green Album"), then follow it up soon afterward with a slightly darker, less-polished sounding album with a drawn cover ("Pinkerton" and "Maladroit").

"Maladroit" relives the sound of "Pinkerton," the commercial failure, cult album that forced singer Rivers Cuomo and crew into hiding for five years, but inspired a new generation of pop-punk bands and had a huge underground following. "Maladroit," however, is tamer than "Pinkerton."

While it sounds like a live album at times, with louder guitar riffs and a slightly rougher sound than Weezer is known for, it never strays far from the cutesy back-up vocals and fun topics that Weezer fans have come to know and love. And, Cuomo sings less about his own sexual preferences and inadequacies than he did on "Pinkerton,' making "Maladroit" less personal but more enjoyable.

The album's first single is "Dope Nose," which has great back-up vocals, with goofy lyrics recalling last year's hit single, "Hash Pipe." Who else but Weezer could get away with a hit radio single with lyrics like, "cheese smells so good on a burnt piece of lamb"?

All of the songs on the album manage to be just as catchy. Future single "Keep Fishin'" gets a little more serious, with Cuomo singing, "it's just the thought of you in love with someone else" that makes him want to "save you from yourself." The more serious tone, however, is easily forgotten because the chorus has such a catchy guitar riff.

"Slob" is one track that stands out for being more depressing than others, but just as good. Cuomo sings in a lower voice, talking of societal pressures to "Get yourself a wife / Get yourself a job," with slightly hair-band sounding instrumentals. But, the darker Cuomo soon hides himself again, since the next song, "Burndt Jam" has a light, tropical, "Island in the Sun"-style sound.

Most of "Maladroit's" 13 songs clock in at less than three minutes, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It makes "Maladroit" the music version of a magazine or summer beach book - short, fun and peppy. And, while it is darker and sounds a bit rougher than "The Green Album," it is still plenty cheery and surely enjoyable enough to listen to all summer long.