Wheezer

Like you (probably), I was a fan of Weezer's first album - the one with "Buddy Holly" and the funny videos. Everything the band has done since has struck me as cold and self-satisfied and it appears the new record is no exception.

Indeed, the record is so uniformly lacking that it's easy to wonder whether perhaps there isn't some subtext at work: Is "Raditude" a cry for help? An ironic experiment, or a satire of by-the-numbers studio rock? Or is frontman Rivers Cuomo just messing with the band's fans — tossing off a shallow album on a lark to see what the reaction will be?

It's tough to tell. But whether or not Mr. Cuomo is joking, it's not funny — and certainly not worth listening to.

Another flame out for me: Ben Folds. Any dissenters out there? (Washington Times)