By Haleigh Miller ’12, News Section Editor

FINALLY somebody has found the balance between alternative music and accessibility. Weezer’s album, Hurley (released September 14), is one of the best albums I’ve heard in a while. Named after Hurley from the cult hit Lost, it stays true to their distinctive, alternative sound (and yes, the drums that help you identify a Weezer song playing through someone’s headphones from 6 feet away are still there).  However, while their unique sound shines through like a laser, Hurley is one of those albums that everybody could love on some level (or so I think). It’s just deep enough to have meaning, but not like leaping into Lake Michigan and trying to find that crab-sized explanation for why you just listened to an album that repeatedly talks about the “woods”.

Weezer’s new album has been described as being the most “raw” of their releases. I tend to agree- almost every song has emotion laid bare, supported by a showcase of unrelenting (in a good way) electric guitar and prominent drums. However, while there are definitely unifying threads that run all the way through the album, the songs don’t blend together into a 46.9 minute monotony-fest.  Each one has its own flavor, its own sentiment, and its own emotion. The album ranges from expressing a desire to go back to the ease and freedom of youth, to accepting being a “train wreck” and sort of loving it, to being friends with insects (seriously).

While still maintaining its accessibility, Weezer crafted Hurley to be one of those albums that was clearly arranged the way it was for a reason. The beginning of the first song and the end of the last (both the last on the regular album and the last on the deluxe version, which has four extra songs) feature orchestral bits. The songs, when listened to in order, flow nicely from regret, instability, a resolution to change, and eventually into a better place. Everything works together nicely, in a manner an average person could appreciate, degree from CCM not required. The lyrics of Hang On support the accessibility factor, “Over and over, we swore it was over, but just like wild clover, love grows at light speed.” The entire album maintains the same simplicity that does a perfect job of expressing the emotion and point Weezer was shooting for.

Personally, I love the entire album, but I do have three favorite songs. “Trainwrecks” is just realistic: while lead singer Rivers Cuomo sings about actually being okay with being a failure and still loving his life, the raw, totally uncorrupted emotion of the song comes through not only in the lyrics, but also the music itself, starting melodically then transitioning to a rougher guitar and drum duo. “Run Away” at first seems to step away from the louder, clearer sound of the rest of the album, but then jumps back in line and echoes some of Weezer’s earlier work, as does “Hang On.” These two songs actually share many of the same themes, relating to the difficulties of love, and staying perhaps the truest to the clear, yet unedited feeling of the entire album.

Far and away, I would definitely recommend Hurley to almost anybody who has ever defined themselves as a fan of alternative rock. It doesn’t get into the generic lyrics of hipsters or the swill that certain 16 year old Disney-grown stars tend to release (sorry), but it is still something people can understand and relate to. Without a doubt, I’d say the album is worth spending money on. I’d even go so far as to recommend spending a few extra bucks on the deluxe version- four extra songs, including a cover of “Viva la Vida”.

Photo courtesy of www.zmemusic.com