Weezer

I love Weezer. My personality has been sculpted by a combination of "My Name is Jonas" and "El Scorcho", contributing to an absurd and self-deprecating sense of humor, a debilitating level of self-awareness and a love for alcohol and irony.

And I love the band's third self-titled album because it sounds like Weezer. The first single, "Pork and Beans," rivals "Buddy Holly" and "Keep Fishin'" for catchy choruses, clever lyrics and absurd music videos. "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" brings back the Shaker hymn used in "Across the Sea" and "Surf Wax America," using an obscene number of variations in musical style to construct the greatest karaoke song ever. Both tracks represent everything that makes the band special-its simplified yet endlessly appealing sound.

Still, The Red Album is far from perfect. It features the traditionally uneven components of any Weezer production: self-aware radio pop ("Troublemaker"), pseudo-heartfelt nostalgia ("Heart Songs"), angsty tempo switching ("Dreamin'") and an epic ending ("The Angel and the One"). Tragically, it even features truly forgettable songs with vocals from (gasp!) band members other than Rivers Cuomo. Some would say it's formulaic. I say a band needs to be true to itself.

Ultimately, it's unfair that fans have to compare Red to Green and Blue. The Red Album, though perhaps not as strong as those previous Weezer recordings, is well-produced and features honest, intelligent songwriting. It's introspective, it's audience-friendly and its title deserves the Weezer name. Even if it's now in the perspective of a married college graduate with a bad mustache.