Music Review

03 December 2008 06:28 BST

Rivers Cuomo: Alone

Geffen, out now.

In a nutshell...

Does pretty much what it says on the tin

What's it all about?

Rivers Cuomo is the front band of emo band Weezer, them of the Spike Jonze video that was used as a demo on Windows 95. But old Rivers was always a bit of an oddball - well you would be with a name like that really - and also recorded about a million songs on his own in his room with just him, some music kit and something to tape it all for posterity.

This album, cunningly released in advance of Weezer's promised 6th studio album, is the fruit of Cuomo's musical loins, a collection of rare recordings and B-sides that didn't make it onto proper records.

Who's it by

Do you remember when emo used to be good? Before all that My Chemical Romance and Panic at the Disco nonsense, it was all about rather geeky men making sensitive music about how hard it was being rich and white and suburban. For a brief while Weezer were kings of all that was sensitive and college-radio friendly. They were so popular that they didn't even bother giving their albums names – watch out Beatles and Led Zeplin – and got trendy directors to shoot their music videos. They are still plugging along, set to release their sixth album in 2008 (though who bought any of their records since the one with Hash Pipe and Island in the Sun on it is something of a mystery). What's more, their bespectacled lead singer, Rivers Cuomo, in between popping off to Harvard to get a degree, has been recording lots and lots of other songs which are helpfully gathered here.

As an example...

"Oo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly/Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore/I don't care what they say about us anyway.I don't care bout that." – Buddy Holly

Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys?

It's been a while since Weezer have troubled the critics in the UK . Over in the States it could well be different. After all there are millions of people in the US and they seem to be lapping up the likes of Bush and other bands that were big about a gazillion years ago in the UK. Whatever. It doesn't seem very likely that the critics are going to go mental over a bunch of songs that weren't good enough to make it onto Weezer albums which weren't as good as their earlier efforts anyway.

What the others say

"Alone is a hit-and-miss, but compelling, look into the brain of Weezer that no fan of the band should be without. Being unearthed demos, many of which predate Weezer, the sound quality is as good as you can hope for." Chad Grischow on IGN.com

So is it any good?

There's a perennial problem with moderately successful bands and singers releasing albums full of b-sides and rarities (see my opinion of Gorillaz' D-Sides, for example). It's all very well when you're a superstar like Dylan and you know that loads of men in natty leather jackets will rush out to buy your every utterance committed to vinyl/tape/MP3. But when you have a limited following in the first place, it's pretty risky.

Not that there aren't some interesting cuts here. The early version Buddy Holly is interesting in a kind of, 'oh yes, that song is much better with a whole band behind it and a funny video featuring the guys from Happy Days' way.

Elsewhere, tracks like Superfriend, Longtime Sunshine and Lover in the Snow clearly show why Weezer were really good. Rivers is certainly a sensitive songwriter and he can capture what it's like to be male and alienated in the world.

But, when you listen to the whole record, you can't help but feel like you've accidentally stumbled in on someone masturbating in their bedroom. And that's never a pleasant experience.

5/10

James Cooper