Weezer: Pork and Beans
It’s been a long time since River Cuomo first put on that yellow cardigan and horn rimmed glasses and performed on the virtual “Happy Days” set. It’s been even longer since he and his band Weezer were considered the kings of nerd rock. Time has passed, so has fickle tastes and seemingly so did Cuomo’s anger and despair lyrically. This fact was obviously not lost on Weezer’s record company who were reportedly very upset at the first version of Weezer’s self titled album that they turned in. They told the band that they needed a single and couldn’t find one amongst the mostly guitar driven art pop. Upset and distraught, Cuomo’s went home and penned an angry response which culminated into their first single “Pork and Beans”. The first most noticeable thing about the new single “Pork and Beans” is that it sounds very familiar. So familiar that it could have actually come from Weezer’s mid 90’s material rather than their newer sound. Everything about it screams “The Blue Album”. The riff is catchy yet weird and quirky. The bass line is a deep grove with a sharp banjo twang every few bars. Cuomo sings off pitch, yet completely on melody, about not conforming to rules. However, it’s not done in a snobby rock star way that has total disdain for the mainstream. Weezer has always had a way of showing their dissatisfaction in a charismatic way. Even the line “Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the chart/ maybe if I work with him, I can perfect the art” seems more tongue in cheek than an actual diss. In an attempt to make a song about refusing to write a hit, it surely sounds like Weezer has another one.
It’s been a long time since River Cuomo first put on that yellow cardigan and horn rimmed glasses and performed on the virtual “Happy Days” set. It’s been even longer since he and his band Weezer were considered the kings of nerd rock. Time has passed, so has fickle tastes and seemingly so did Cuomo’s anger and despair lyrically. This fact was obviously not lost on Weezer’s record company who were reportedly very upset at the first version of Weezer’s self titled album that they turned in. They told the band that they needed a single and couldn’t find one amongst the mostly guitar driven art pop. Upset and distraught, Cuomo’s went home and penned an angry response which culminated into their first single “Pork and Beans”.
The first most noticeable thing about the new single “Pork and Beans” is that it sounds very familiar. So familiar that it could have actually come from Weezer’s mid 90’s material rather than their newer sound. Everything about it screams “The Blue Album”. The riff is catchy yet weird and quirky. The bass line is a deep grove with a sharp banjo twang every few bars. Cuomo sings off pitch, yet completely on melody, about not conforming to rules. However, it’s not done in a snobby rock star way that has total disdain for the mainstream. Weezer has always had a way of showing their dissatisfaction in a charismatic way. Even the line “Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the chart/ maybe if I work with him, I can perfect the art” seems more tongue in cheek than an actual diss. In an attempt to make a song about refusing to write a hit, it surely sounds like Weezer has another one.
