The album cover of Weezer’s “OK Human” album depicts a creature in headphones standing next to lead singer Rivers Cuomo. “OK Human” was released on Jan. 29, after Weezer postponed the release of their upcoming album “Van Weezer.” “More music coming for you Humans real soon, Ok?” Weezer wrote in a tweet teasing the release of “OK Human.” Album artwork fair use of Mattias Adolfsson
American alternative rock band Weezer took a break from their production of album “Van Weezer” to release “OK Human” on Jan. 29. An album of rock music masquerading as orchestral pop, “OK Human” was an interesting, and mostly enjoyable, experience.
Weezer’s approach to “OK Human” was to go completely unplugged. The band turned down their characteristic electric guitars in favor of an orchestra.
This orchestral music isn’t what Weezer fans would expect from the rock band, which is known for its ‘crunchy’ electric guitar and heavy drums. Nonetheless, “Ok Human” is charming in its own way. The music makes this album feel more personal and immersive, in a way- more human.
The lyrical quality in “OK Human” varies greatly from song to song. In “Grapes of Wrath”, lead singer Rivers Cuomo references a plethora of classic literature and talks about being “barely there” when immersed in a good book. Similarly, “Screens” tackles the topic of society becoming ever more digital.
In “All My Favorite Songs,” however, Cuomo sings, “All my favorite songs are slow and sad / All my favorite people make me mad / Everything that feels so good is bad, bad, bad.”
The lyrics are a little underwhelming coming from a Harvard graduate, but the song is catchy.
The most disappointing part of the album is the song lengths, with two-thirds of the songs being under three minutes long. “Everything Happens For A Reason” lasts for a mere 24 seconds- with no purpose except setting up the next song.
“OK Human” is a charming, unique album, despite its flaws. It’s especially relatable during the pandemic, with themes of isolation and disconnection. Despite the fact that it deviates from Weezer’s usual style, “OK Human” should be counted as a success. “OK Human” can be found on most major music platforms.
