rivers cuomo

Rivers Cuomo's name is practically synonymous with indie. He rocked the thick-rimmed glasses before anyone else and started the Japanese hype long before Pokemon. But his band, Weezer, has long outlived their glory days. Their last album was depressingly bland, even by mainstream standards.

And so, perhaps in an effort to redeem his status as rock's golden boy, he has released his first solo album, fittingly named Alone: Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo. Filled with unrefined personal recordings dating as far back as 1992, the CD is full of surprisingly quirky covers that are refreshing to even the most skeptical listeners.

In one of the earlier tracks, "The World We Love So Much," the exasperated singing and simple string of repetitive notes are earnest and completely stripped, one of the reasons why we fell in love with him in the first place. The raw energy that explodes through "The Bomb" turns even hilariously horrible rap (yes, Rivers raps) into a funky, psychedelic hair-in-the-face anthem.

To balance out the whiny quality of certain tracks, a sizable batch of silly songs is a good contrast to the melodrama that plagues some of the other tracks. With lyrics like "So many squares where you can go, so few promises," "Chess" masterfully turns a board game into a metaphor for relationships.

"Blast Off" and "Superfriend" are more reminiscent of older Weezer songs, with ungarnished strumming and dominant vocals. Robotic vocals and the layering of voices make the songs even more intriguing. Rivers even succeeds with his more laid-back rendition of "Buddy Holly," an impressive feat.

Offering a variety of silly and genuine mixes, Rivers does well with his first solo album, although it's not entirely new material. Longing Weezer fans may not need to keep fishing for hope, after all.