Following months of internet rumour - some true, most not; some started by the band, most not - Weezer have revealed details of new single 'Pork and Beans' and its parent long-player, which for the third time in the band's six-album history, will be titled simply 'Weezer'.
Whether by accident or design, Weezer have released an eponymous record every seven years, each featuring some of their biggest singles. In 1994 their debut, since christened 'The Blue Album', broke through on the back of worldwide hit 'Buddy Holly'. 'The Green Album' followed in 2001, propelled by alterna-smash 'Hash Pipe', and now the Jacknife Lee-produced 'Pork and Beans' looks set to continue that trend, as the lead track from 'Weezer' mk.III, already being referred to as 'The Red Album'.'The Red Album' not only marks Weezer's clean sweep of the primary colour chart, but also a high point in the band's 14-year evolution, and the moment where frontman Rivers Cuomo realises his power pop dream. Comprised of sessions produced by Rick Rubin, Jacknife Lee and the band themselves, the album is undeniably Weezer, playing like a particularly satisfying pick n' mix of the band's finest moments from the aforementioned primary colour albums, and the intervening long-players Pinkerton (1996), Maladriot (2002) and Make Believe (2005).
'Pork and Beans' is a suitably raucous way to kick off Weezer's 2008. Recorded under the watch of Jacknife Lee, and riding a wave of River's passive-aggressive power-chord power-play, the song set the internet ablaze when a 30-second clip leaked in early April. At the time of writing that short snippet was riding high at numbers one and two of the influential Hype Machine chart and it's already being regarded as a Weezer classic by fans and the internet mafia.
Weezer are Rivers Cuomo, Pat Wilson, Scott Shriner and Brian Bell.
'Pork and Beans' is out 23 June on Geffen via Polydor
The album, 'Weezer', follows on 30 June
www.weezer.com
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