Weezer’s newest album, OK Human, is a major step forward in the evolution of the band’s sound. 

For a while now, Weezer has been moving toward having more pop influence in its music. In previous albums, this influence came across as the band’s lead singer and songwriter, Rivers Cuomo, caring more about mass market appeal than making art, especially when combined with the overall blander, less inspired lyrics. OK Human shows Weezer’s full realization of this new sound, and how genuine lyrics need not be sacrificed to pursue it.

This album comes from an interesting place from a songwriting perspective. Cuomo began writing lyrics for it before the pandemic, then continued during quarantine. The overall story of the album seems to be Cuomo reflecting on himself during this time of isolation. 

“All My Favorite Songs” is a great introduction to the album, as well as a good song overall. It has nice, relatable lyrics that seem to come from Cuomo’s personal experiences while musically giving a preview of the overall vibe of this album. 

While “Aloo Gobi” is also a good song, it is somewhat funny in retrospect. This song was written before the pandemic, as Cuomo describes his boredom with his social life and wanting a change. If anything, this makes the song even more relatable, as listeners embrace the shared experience of having taken their previous social life for granted. 

The biggest flaw is Cuomo’s tendency to lean into cliche at times. Though “Numbers” can get away with the oft-repeated moral of not basing one’s worth on numbers well enough, “Screens” comes off as the sort of preachy “technology is bad” sentiment you see in your grandmother’s Facebook posts. 

But that is just a small mar in an otherwise well written album. And the instrumentals complement the lyrics well — nice and chill, with some components almost orchestral with the inclusion of classical string and brass instruments. The inclusion of so many layers of sound make for an immersive experience. 

“La Brea Tar Pits” is the best sendoff this album could have gotten. The band has figured out what they want to do with this sound, and it works out really well. 

All in all this is a really good album, and easily one of the best that Weezer has put out in the last couple of years.