16/09/2026

LYFE WEDNESDAY | SEPT 16, 2026

25

ALBUM REVIEW

Ű BY AMEEN HAZIZI

B EING a Weezer fan can be tiring. Just when the band puts out something that reminds you why you liked it, the next release leaves you wondering what happened. There are great albums scattered throughout its catalogue, but getting to them sometimes means sitting through questionable decisions. Thankfully, the band’s self-titled album, also known as the Gold Album, is one of the better ones. The guitars are heavy, the hooks are mostly strong and the band sounds excited to be playing together. It is hardly its first attempt at returning to its roots, but there is enough here to make another trip worthwhile. Whether it belongs anywhere near the Blue Album , Pinkerton or the Green Album is another conversation. For now, having a new Weezer album that is enjoyable from start to finish is good enough. Giving guitars some space A lot of the appeal comes from how good the band sounds. Producers Kenneth Blume and Klas Ahlund give the guitars plenty of bite, with drums that hold their own against all that distortion. Even when a song is not particularly memorable, the playing gives you something to enjoy. Opener Say Yes gets things going with percussion that gradually builds before the guitars come crashing in. It is a strong introduction to an album that wastes little time getting loud. Shine Again follows with one of Rivers Cuomo’s better vocal performances here. Written by drummer Patrick Wilson, it has a particularly good build into the chorus and could fit alongside material from the White Album . Then there is Don’t Make It Weird , which finds Cuomo being awkward in everyday situations. This is familiar territory for Weezer, but the song is catchy enough to get away with its sillier moments. Nobody comes to this band expecting it to be cool. A little help from Wednesday We Might as Well Be Strangers , featuring Wednesday, is a highlight. Karly Hartzman joins Cuomo for a duet about two people growing apart

The Gold Album is Weezer’s first colour themed album without a band photo on its cover, featuring instead what the band describes as ‘four symbols believed to represent its creators’. The closing stretch is much better. The Show Must Go On revisits the band’s touring days with hefty guitar work, while Up in the Clouds slows things down and makes good use of harmonised guitars. Closer The LA Sound is the standout, complete with a guitar solo that deserves the attention. After hearing Cuomo complain about the demands of being in Weezer, it is nice to hear the band enjoy it. The Gold Album has enough good songs to earn its place in regular rotation, even if a few lyrics deserve an eye roll. Longtime fans will recognise plenty and the performances keep that familiarity enjoyable. Hopefully, the next album gives us fewer reasons to approach the play button with caution.

(From left) Rhythm guitarist Brian Bell, frontman Cuomo, drummer Wilson and bassist Scott Shriner have formed Weezer’s line-up for 25 years. Weezer goes for gold o One of band’s better albums gives longtime fans plenty to enjoy

Saving plenty for the end There are weaker spots. Hoops gets repetitive, while its complaints about everyday annoyances do not

give listeners much to think about. The performance helps, although louder guitars can only do so much for an average song.

and having someone answer him gives the song more room to explore that relationship. The memories of being young together make their present distance sadder. It is one of the few moments where the album’s lyrics are as compelling as its guitars. C.E.O. , meanwhile, is fun but slightly irritating. Cuomo complains about being expected to keep making the same music, even as the band gives listeners another helping of its familiar sound. You can understand the frustration. Having everything compared with records you made decades ago must get old. But Weezer have hardly been stopped from trying new things. Some of those experiments gave us OK Human . Others simply were not very good and fans are allowed to say so.

The C.E.O . music video features cameos by Obsession director Curry Barker, niche internet comedian Jay Renshaw as Chit, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Tony Hawk, Michael Pena and Giovanni Ribisi. – PICS FROM INSTAGRAM @WEEZER

Newly identified insect species named after Taylor Swift Swiftiephylus amator, Swiftiephylus intrepidus and Swiftiephylus poetorum. recently, reported German Press Agency (dpa).

SCIENTISTS have named four newly identified insect species after US superstar Taylor Swift, with the animals belonging to the newly named genus Swiftiephylus, the University of California, Riverside said

Within the genus, the experts identified four species which they named after the singer and her albums: Swiftiephylus taylorae,

The names are the Latin versions of “Taylor” and the singer’s albums Lover, Fearless and Poets , which refers to the album The Tortured Poets Department. The animals belong to the family of soft bugs, according to the university. Doctoral student Sarah Schroeder, who co-authored the scientific paper, hopes the naming will bring more attention to insect conservation, the university said. “It felt authentic to me as a lifelong Swiftie to honour Taylor in this way, as well as bring attention to the diversity of insects that has yet to be discovered,” Schroeder said in a statement released by the university. The four new species are herbivores and are closely associated with the Australian plant genus Allocasuarina, according to university. Another reason she named the insects after Swift is the appearance of

Swiftiephylus taylorae belongs to a family of soft bugs. – PIC FROM UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

It took years for the newly identified insects to get their names. They were discovered between 1995 and 2004 as part of a biodiversity project by US and Australian researchers. At the time, the experts collected 50,000 specimens, which had to be sorted, examined and identified. – Bernama-dpa

the bugs, Schroeder said. They have red-orange coloured structures on their light bodies, resembling the flowers of Allocasuarina. “Taylor Swift’s iconic look is her blonde hair and red lips. These insects are pale yellow with accents of red throughout. In the paper I refer to them as blonde,” Schroeder said.

Swift now has bugs named after herself and her albums. – IMDBPIC