5/10

Since the dawn of the millennium, the output of Weezer has been a turbulent one to say the very least. Despite churning out some of the worst alt-rock albums in living memory, the band have somehow managed to stay afloat thanks to their devout fanbase and the occasional glimmer of genius sprinkled amongst the muck. But on the whole, they have shown themselves to be a wildly unpredictable outfit who can never be second guessed for a moment. So in usual Weezer fashion, they have chosen to pay homage to their childhood obsessions on fifteenth fun-length 'Van Weezer', a bizarre cross of classic rock and their own distinct direction.

When it was first announced that they would be putting out a classic rock album, eyebrows were certainly raised but the overall reception to their initial singles left many less dubious. But after an initial listen to 'Van Weezer' it is clear that these two sides to their sound just don't seem to gel at all. While the majority of the record is a Weezer-by-numbers release with the occasional smattering of guitar solos and blistering hooks, this gimmick feels less serious with every passing track, making it seem like they only decided this on a passing whim without much thorough thought into it.

Although to be fair, once you get past the pretence of the album, it does have some solid moments of fun, but only if you have your tongue firmly planted in your cheek. In all, 'Van Weezer' is the living musical embodiment of a midlife crisis, something they obviously thought would be fun but no one should be taking it too seriously.