DISClosure: Jeffrey Gaines & Weezer

DISClosure
CD Reviews Of A National Scale

Jeffrey Gaines
Always Be

by Lisa Hummel

With his fourth effort, Always Be, Harrisburg’s Jeffrey Gaines has once again gathered a fine sampling of the songwriting that has endeared him to so many. The 13 tracks tell stories of heartbreak, longing, and enjoying life in a light perfectly painted by Gaines. As he did with his previous releases — his 1992 self-titled debut, 1994’s Somewhat Slightly Dazed, and 1998’s Galore — Gaines plays the role of master storyteller, singing the tales with his heart and soul, causing the listener to believe he actually feels what he sings. Conveying that type of authenticity — especially on a disc — is a true talent and is one Gaines does well.

From the album’s first track, the title cut “Always Be” to the uptempo “Fall You Fool” and from the aptly titled “Happy That” (“I’m happy that I woke up this morning, because no one is promised another day…”) to the defiant saxophone-infused rocker “Take Me Back” (“I may be crazy, but I sure ain’t insane”), Always Be highlights the best of the new and a sampling of the old, including a reprise of Gaines’ 1992 single “Hero In Me.”

But what, really, can top Gaines’ rendition of Peter Gabriel’s 1986 hit “In Your Eyes”? While the compiled works on Always Be are wholly good — some even more than good — Gaines and “In Your Eyes” come together like hand and glove. Are we sure this song was sung before? Gaines is making us wonder. Both the studio and the live version of the song are included on the disc … and yes, the song is good enough to hear twice. Where the studio version provides Gaines with the best of production quality, what it lacks is the intimacy and eagerness of the Philadelphia audience captured on the live version. The crowd is hungry for the longtime fan favorite and they let it be known, by becoming the backup singers to Gaines’ trademark throaty vocals. It’s something to be heard. Twice. (Artemis)

Jeffrey Gaines will be at Harrisburg’s American MusicFest on July 5 at 7 p.m.

Weezer
Weezer (The Green Album)

by Benjy Eisen

In the new school of post-punk pop, the guys in Weezer all get varsity sweaters – a fitting image considering the band’s Ivy League education (band leader River Cuomo went to Harvard, after recording Weezer’s multi-platinum debut). Weezer’s actually been pigeonholed as the current poster boys of geek rock, but the truth is that they’re not really all that geeky. Like R.E.M. who held the title before them, Weezer plays jingly-jangly anthems with simple chord changes drenched in just the right amount of distortion to alert the college kids.

The 28-minute ride that is the second self-titled Weezer release (nicknamed “The Green Album” to avoid confusion) contains ten quirky pop songs with sing-a-long melodies that recall the progressively catchy alt-rock of Bob Mould (Husker Du, Sugar). The not-so-heavy guitar crunch is a throwback to mid-’90s alternative when groups like the Breeders and the Pixies were emerging out of grunge; Nirvana remains a discernable influence. Each of these songs are standouts while few of them actually standout. The disc sounds like one big radio-friendly sampler; dirty guitar pop with sparkling clean water production thanks in no small part to producer Ric Ocasek (yes, from The Cars).

This is Weezer’s third release. After breaking into fame and commercial success with their debut (which was also self-titled and produced by Ocasek), the band tried experimenting some with a darker sound on 1996’s Pinkerton. Five years later, Weezer has returned to the sounds that first made them famous back in 1994 with hits “Buddy Holly” and “Undone (The Sweater Song).”

River Cuomo wrote all 10 of these songs, all of which are undeniably born from the same batch. Songs like “O Girlfriend,” will become instant soundtracks to endless lost love escapades this summer while the quirky and metallic “Hash Pipe” is already making radio waves. In “Simple Pages” with its rhythmic lyrical build-up, he sings “Gimme some love, gimme some love sugar, on the hard rock radio.” C’mon, give the man some love. (Geffen)