Sure, if this came out
in '93, Weezer would be the ones being called derivative. But
even such immutable concerns as time's unfortunate linearity can't
negate what amounts to a remarkably bouncy pop feast on
Insomniac's Almanac. These three folks are astute power-pop
professionals, and many of these thirteen songs resonate
warmly long after they've been processed. Witness the endearing
shimmers of "River of Sound," the vaudevillian goofiness of
"Addicted to Myspace," or the Cuomo-esque rollick of "Stuck."
And then there's the frankly brilliant "Wife," the album's
indisputable pinnacle - thirty seconds too long, but who's counting?
- which boasts a chilling melody that renders the listener
defenceless. The band missteps occasionally, but never disastrously,
as on ratty "How To Be Alone" and flat "Sick and Tired of Being Sick
of Tired," though their lapses hold no candle to the wealth of solid
hooks on tap. Consult The Campbell Apartment for the good ol'
Weezer-y rock of yore; don't expect brilliant invention or epic
studio wizardry - Insomniac's Almanac is devoted singly to
fun.
