The fan base that surrounds the band Weezer is strongly divided. On one hand, there are the “purists” who only enjoy their first two albums, the self-titled Weezer (Blue Album) and Pinkerton. On the other hand, there are the fans who still enjoy the band post-Pinkerton. Something I think both sides can agree on is that Weezer’s second album, Pinkerton is one of the greatest rock albums of all time. September 24th, 2020 marks the album’s 24th anniversary since its official release in 1996, but does Pinkerton still hold up 24 years later?

Pinkerton reflects many of frontman Rivers Cuomo’s personal experiences during his time at Harvard University, where he wrote most of the album’s songs. These experiences are represented with very somber lyrics, clearly meaning that they were rather sad and depressing experiences. Nowadays, some of the lyrics throughout Pinkerton are seen as strange or even creepy, but they seem very genuine. Songs like “Across the Sea” and “Butterfly” definitely have much stranger and more questionable lyrics than other tracks on Pinkerton, but Rivers Cuomo was young and extremely depressed while writing Pinkerton. These songs just show raw emotion, which is the theme of Pinkerton.

The rawness and emotion of the album are what make Pinkerton appealing. The genuity and reasoning behind it all make it even more emotional. The fact that the songs are representative of true stories is what makes the album so special. People can relate to it because it’s filled with common experiences shared by many. “The Good Life” and “Falling for You” are some of the most relatable songs by Weezer.

Even if someone can’t really relate to Pinkerton, the album is still really well written and composed. Brian Bell on the guitar, Matt Sharp on the bass guitar, and Patrick Wilson on the drums all demonstrate their talent on this album. The full tracklist is lyrically ingenious. “El Scorcho” and “Getchoo” use their goofy lyrics in unthinkable ways. Pinkerton also holds the very iconic song “Pink Triangle”.

So, does Weezer’s Pinkerton still hold up 24 years later? Yes, yes it does. While it doesn’t fit in very well with today’s radio music, it’s still an incredibly relatable album with engaging stories surrounding each song. Pinkerton is still one of the greatest rock albums of all time, and its many B-sides are just as excellent, too.