Since 1994, American rock band Weezer has released 14 studio albums. The band has been on a bumpy ride for years and years. With critically acclaimed albums, such as 1994’s Weezer (also referred to as the “Blue Album”) and 2014’s Everything Will Be Alright in the End, and critically unacclaimed albums, such as 2004’s Make Believe and 2009’s Raditude, Weezer fans have been wondering where the band would go next. After the delay of Weezer’s upcoming glam metal Van Weezer album, fans wondered how the band would fill in the gap. The band took that time to finish their previously reported album, OK Human. On January 29, 2021, the complete 14th studio album was released and took critics by surprise. The album utilizes a 38-piece orchestra to bring together this baroque pop-rock album. The title of Weezer’s orchestral and anti-electronic album, OK Human, is very clearly a reference to Radiohead’s electronic rock album, OK Computer, and both albums are perfectly named, as they’re complete opposites.

The first track and single of Weezer’s OK Human, “All My Favorite Songs” was the first glimpse at the album, and it’s a nice catchy song. There are relatable themes throughout the whole song and while it’s by no means one of the best songs on the album, it’s simple and it shows how relatable the rest of the album would turn out to be. The second track, “Aloo Gobi,” describes lead singer Rivers Cuomo’s typical date with his wife, before the COVID-19 pandemic had begun and reflects on how Cuomo now appreciates those dates more during the pandemic. There’s beautiful orchestral instrumentation throughout the whole song, and the chorus is very fun to sing along to. “Aloo Gobi” definitely raises the bar for the rest of the album.

OK Human becomes more epic with “Grapes Of Wrath”, a song dedicated to Cuomo’s love for books and literature. While seemingly being an advertisement for the Audible book streaming service, the upbeat song is easily one of the highest points on the album. The use of references to famous works by authors like George Orwell and Herman Melville is clever and shows Cuomo’s love of literature. Following “Grape Of Wrath” is the slow and emotional “Numbers.” The track says that numbers in many forms are the source of many people’s sadness. Whether it’s Instagram likes or an IQ score, “numbers are out to get you.” The song’s chorus is filled with pure emotion from Rivers Cuomo, and it’s very meaningful to the theme of the song.

“Playing My Piano” describes one of Cuomo’s favorite hobbies during the pandemic, playing his piano. The piano melody is very satisfying as Cuomo gets lost in the tune. The drumming from Patrick Wilson perfectly mixes with the orchestra in this track and is some of the best drumming from Wilson in recent years. “Mirror Image” is a very short track, but it has some of Rivers Cuomo’s best songwriting ever. It’s a nice, beautiful tune with an emotional closing. The next track, “Screens,” is Weezer’s very “hip” tune about how everyone is always staring at their screens nowadays. This may seem like Cuomo’s “boomer” view of teens always on their phones, but the song also touches upon older generations. While not one of the higher points of the album, the track has one of the most fun choruses in all of OK Human.

The longest song on OK Human, “Bird With A Broken Wing,” has a nice, soft tune. It’s a song about how although he might be damaged, Rivers Cuomo still has his song to sing and he’s right where he wants to be. The orchestra is at its peak on this track. “Dead Roses” is a very odd but very welcome change of pace for OK Human. The song opens with a melody that is reminiscent of a Tim Burton stop-motion film. The themes are very cliché but overall, very well mixed with some of Cuomo’s greatest vocals on the album.

The 23-second instrumental track, “Everything Happens For A Reason,” is a nice, short homestretch for the album, although there’s not much variety that the track has to offer. The instrumental does transition perfectly into the next track, “Here Comes The Rain”. The song has a sweet melody with some of the best songwriting on OK Human. With another fun and catchy chorus and beautiful instrumentation, “Here Comes The Rain” is perfect for its spot as the penultimate track of the album. The album’s closer, “La Brea Tar Pits,” is a very laid-back and relaxing song. It features some more great songwriting from Cuomo and the cellos are utilized perfectly throughout. “La Brea Tar Pits” is just another great track, and it amazingly closes one of Weezer’s best albums.

Overall, OK Human is a masterfully crafted album by Weezer. While not perfect, the ideas and the execution are amazing. A pop-rock band using a 38-piece orchestra and not a trace of an electric guitar? That idea worked out surprisingly well for the band. The album also displayed some of the best drumming from Patrick Wilson in all of Weezer’s discography. I’m very impressed with this new Weezer album, and I’m excited to see what’s in store for the long-awaited Van Weezer.