“The Teal Album”

Weezer

By: Chris Shea

In the summer of 2018, Weezer made headlines when they released a cover version of “Africa” by Toto. Then, on Jan. 24, the band decided to release a surprise album. The surprise? None of the songs are originals.

That is correct, the band that brought you such alt-rock anthems in the 1990s such as “Undone - The Sweater Song” and “El Scorcho” is now a glorified cover band.

In addition to putting their own spin on classic hits by bands such as Toto, a-Ha, and Electric Light Orchestra, they also tossed in a rendition of TLC’s “No Scrubs.” For those familiar with Weezer’s style of music, this may not seem like a natural fit for what was originally an R&B song, and it definitely isn’t.

It’s not a bad cover, per se (the song is replicated very well), but there is just something inherently wrong about hearing lead singer Rivers Cuomo give the definition of what a scrub is (especially when he sings the word “busta”). However, it should be noted that Chilli from TLC loved the cover and wants to perform it with Weezer at some point in the near future.

That said, some of the covers are actually good—Weezer’s version of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” might be better than the original. 

The main problem with the “Teal Album” is that it comes off as Weezer’s sad attempt to emulate another genre and be a meme rather than to pay tribute to other artists. This album was not meant to last for generations like 1996’s “Pinkerton;” instead, it is meant for the moment.