Wake me up before you go gauche

I always feel in confessional mode when admitting to the guilty pleasures of listening to Weezer. OK, they paved the way for the likes of Blink-182 and Sum 41 but you didn't hold it against Nirvana for pulling Pearl Jam through in their slipstream, did you? Oh, you did? Hmf.

Anyway, after a five year hiatus between 'Pinkerton' and last year's 'The Green Album' Rivers Cuomo and Co. follow up the latter release with 'Maladroit' in seemingly indecent haste. If, singles apart, 'The Green Album' was generally considered something of a disappointment, perhaps it did the trick in clearing a few songwriting cobwebs as 'Maladroit' represents a fierce return to form. It's something of a slow-burner, which yields its more explosive properties after a few plays, but is now on constant rotation in the Parallax View household, with stand-out tracks including 'Keep Fishin'; 'Take Control'; 'Fall Together'; 'Love Explosion'; 'Living Without You' and (best of all) the exceedingly unslovenly 'Slob'.

It's a lean, mean and punchy record with better tunage, heavier riffs and a harder edge than its predecessor, all delivered with such an irresistible brio (complete with all the expected falsettos and harmonies) you'll find it hard to avoid reaching for your air guitar and singing your heart out. Not that you'd ever catch me doing such a thing. Oh no.

Related links: Patty's Rivers Rocks My Socks Off homepage.