Maladroit

1	American Gigolo
2	Dope Nose
3	Keep Fishin'
4	Take Control
5	Death And Destruction
6	Slob
7	Burndt Jamb
8	Space Rock
9	Slave
10	Fall Together
11	Possibilities
12	Love Explosion
13	December

Barnes & Noble

There's something about the way Rivers Cuomo and company chew on the most basic forms of rock sustenance -- cheesy '70s-metal riffs, shout-along choruses worthy of any stock car rally, and, of course, their fearless leader's heart-on-sleeve vulnerability -- that makes Weezer the least likely rock archetype for the new millennium. Still, on this apparent rush-job (one day short of a year since their previous effort), the band sounds as snotty and sincere -- a combination that's mighty hard to pull off -- as any combo in recent memory. Cuomo's dalliance with decadence returns on the Van Halen-meets-Black Flag slur of "Dope Nose" (probably the disc's strongest track), while the nifty Strokes nod "Fall Together" makes it clear that there's no time warp pulling the members back into the days of yore. Maladroit buzzes with a more focused energy than Weezer's last self-titled disc, waxing deadly serious (on the wrist-slashing "Death and Destruction" and pulling a Uu-turn to bop in ultra-adrenalized fashion on "Island in the Sun." There's nothing particularly earth-shattering in the disc's grooves -- although it is kinda heartening to hear Cuomo let his guard down on gnarled bits of self-analysis like "Slave" and "Slob" -- but there's more than enough progression to make fans and foes alike rethink the notion of Weezer as simple noisemakers. David Sprague

All Music Guide

Bands used to make records like this all the time. They'd release an album, tour all year, write a bunch of songs, record 'em, release another album a year later. Since hardly anybody -- not even indie bands -- did that in 2002, it's a remarkable event when Weezer does exactly that, especially following a half a decade of inactivity. But, it's hard not to think that this is the way it should be done by all bands, since Maladroit retains the high quality of The Green Album. True, it doesn't offer much that's new -- it has a similarly short length, clocking in at 33 minutes, it favors riff-heavy, melodic rockers and has a lack of ballads, while Rivers Cuomo is doggedly avoiding the exposed-nerve confessions of Pinkerton -- but there are a couple notable differences that give it its own character. Since the band has returned to self-producing, there's a tougher sound -- nowhere near as raw as Pinkerton, yet similarly loud and raucous, overflowing with guitars spitting out riffs and solos with a gleeful abandon. So, it's essentially a harder-rocking version of the last album. But you know what? It doesn't matter because the band is at a peak. Cuomo continues to write consistently strong songs, occasionally penning a flat-out stunner ("Dope Nose" is one of Weezer's all-time greatest songs), the band is tighter than ever, and the record crackles with energy -- nothing new, per se, but still vibrant, catchy, and satisfying. It's so good, it's hard not to think that it offers definitive proof that even in 2002, it's best for a band to keep going once they've hit a peak, to turn out a bunch of records that find them at the top of their game instead of waiting three or four years to craft a follow-up. After all, that's what builds not only a body of work, but a legacy. Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Spin Magazine

"7"... Finally free to feed the hard-rock flame without donning the asbestos suit of irony, Cuomo has penned the Pinto-rocking Van Halen record of his dreams. Laura Sinagra