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Not that it will ever happen, but I think that if there was anyone who deserved a critical re-evaluation (or at the very least, a dialing back of the bile), it's Rivers "Alt-Rock Piñata" Cuomo. I've mentioned this before, but I'm still baffled as to why Cuomo has received as much critical contempt during his career as he's had. I've been slowly (and in all honesty, with trepidation) plowing through the Weezer catalog, and to this point have found little evidence to justify the monsoon of shit that the guy's gotten. But whatever it is about him, it definitely rubs people the wrong way.

"Maladroit", like the three albums before it, proudly displays Cuomo's obvious love of 70's rock; from the riff-tastic power pop of Cheap Trick to the glorious cheese of early Van Halen. It's his soundtrack to the romanticizing of summers hanging out in the parking lot, smoking pot, drinking beer and waiting for something to happen; of crushes on girls who don't know you exist, and never will; and the endless (and ultimately pointless) hoping that one day you'll be cool too.

Essentially, there's little that's complicated in Weezer's output, and if you can put aside the awkwardness in Cuomo's personality, there's a lot of good, crunchy alt-rock here to enjoy. Tracks like "Dope Nose" and "Keep Fishin'" are ace, and at roughly 35 minutes, overall it's a pretty fat-free and efficient album.

It's time to put the stick down and give it a fair listen.