For one whole summer in middle school, all I listened to was The Click. It was the only AJR album available on Amazon Music for non-premium users, and I loved it. 

My passionate admiration for the band and their unique style only grew, especially with the release of the single, “All My Favorite Songs Are Slow and Sad” this past summer which they made in collaboration with Weezer. Immediately, I went to this unfamiliar band’s Spotify page and listened to their other songs, hoping to find more gems of the likes of AJR. But, I was sorely disappointed, finding their top songs uninteresting. 

However, their 2022 release of four EPs, twenty-eight songs total, SZNZ: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter has changed my perspective. Well, partially.

Several songs bored me tirelessly, but some surprised me with the versatility of Weezer’s different styles, instrumentations, and forever-changing tempos and key signatures. So that you don’t have to listen to this hour-and-a-half-long album to find the best tracks, below I have detailed my thoughts on each song, ordered from my least favorite, to what I believe is the alternative banger everyone should be listening to right now. 

28. “Opening Night” – Throughout the song, there’s a cheery, light-hearted, folk-sounding guitar and many Shakespeare references. But overall, the song is plagued by a plain lack of entertaining sounds.

27. “Wild At Heart” – Other than the chorus, there weren’t any notable vocal melodies, and the instrumentals remain painfully basic with an incredibly unexciting guitar solo.

26. “Dark Enough to See the Stars” – The jingle bells give this song a holiday vibe, but the harmonica additions clash vulgarly. However, the minimalist bridge provides a satisfying break from the busy layering in this song. While I may have been able to put up with the song for this part alone, the chorus vocal line sounds like a nursery rhyme.

25. “Cuomoville” – Throughout the song, there’s a buzzing guitar very similar to the other songs, which is aggravated by the absence of an interesting melody. In the middle, a distorted voice with a dark guitar adds a nice twist to the song, but it clashes poorly with the ebullient shouting and bright guitar that is intermixed with it. While the music itself isn’t very exciting, the lyrics bring light to political issues with social commentary praising “Cuomoville,” a campout in New York City protesting the actions of Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

24. “All This Love” – While the melody of this one is fun, the song feels like it lacks a larger musical element to set the chorus apart from the verse. But all in all, this song and the following ones are not all that bad.

23. “Basketball” – I admire the relatable lyrics of hoping for something unattainable and the tuneful chorus of this song. But, the melody of the verse sounds like awkward talking, mostly consisting of two bland notes.

22. “Iambic Pentameter” – Unfortunately, this song is not in iambic pentameter, but it does definitely follow some sort of an inconsistent rhythmic pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, which creates a well-flowed and creative structure. The chorus is pretty catchy, too. While the end of the bridge has a childish tune, it is made up for with the fast violins that just as quickly change styles, ever-engagingly. 

21. “The Garden of Eden” – The beginning has birds chirping, a magical glide of chimes, and a piano whose notes ripple through a large area. It’s very much a happy-go-lucky song. The louder bass part adds more pulse and carries the song’s beat despite its simplicity.

20. “Angels On Vacation” – The organ and choir voices are replaced quickly at the beginning with a 2010s pop-sounding guitar, reminiscent of a boyband song, especially with far-off responding snippets of vocals here and there in addition to the harmonizing vocals. Then, the voices blend into a sad and mysterious bridge that fades out before building again to the main rhythm, packing many moods into one track.

19. “A Little Bit of Love” – This one sounds like a Vance Joy song with its joyous melody, uplifting acoustic guitar strumming, and percussive clinking and clanking. The chorus melody is also very catchy, perfect for sunny day drives.

18. “The Opposite Of Me” – The dismal lyrics clash with the upbeat melody, further contrasted with a cheesy “yeah!” before each chorus iteration. In the bridge, however, the song turns to a more exhausted, dreary mood with a slow-down, rhythmic heavy breaths, with a repeated short, high-pitch guitar lick which added to the dynamic of the desperation. This whiny guitar is also introduced again in the chorus, making the song sound upbeat in a not-happy way, reflecting the essence of the song’s message. Altogether, the purposeful use of musical elements in conjunction with the lyrical theme was executed flawlessly. 

17. “The Sound Of Drums” – Similar to “Opening Night,” this song also has a brighter tone while the melody also sounds like a Christmas song. When the title of the song is sung, the music seems to shift into a soothing mood as the lyrics invite you to feel likewise. 

16. “Thank You and Good Night” – The melodies are decent and well-matched with the guitar and drum parts which all transition smoothly between the highly differing sections of the song which jump around varied tempos and melodies. The vocalist’s lasting high note towards the end of the song surprised me, sounding like something out of a musical. Then, the music switches to a mainly instrumental rock finish. The changing sounds, each more exciting than the one prior, kept me hooked on the song.

15. “Lawn Chair” – The vocals are lower than Weezer’s normal style, which, coupled with the orchestra, also sounds like that of a musical. Then guitar and drums come in, creating a very dramatic mood. These new styles offered a different feel to the album, a break from the overused tones.

14. “The Deep and Dreamless Sleep” – This song is very repetitive and almost chant-like without much note variety, but the instrumental-focused ending with a call-and-response of fast guitar riffs dramatically slows to a finish with a showstopping end.

13. “I Want A Dog” – The sweet, softer melody matches the longing lyrics and seamlessly transitions into a demanding, dirty-toned guitar as a more uplifting mood takes over. The contrast of this song with the others on this album further makes it stand out as a pretty plea. 

12. “Run, Raven, Run” – The chorus is boring, with no interesting melody line. The style and tone are very similar to the other songs, making “Run, Raven, Run” just another copy-paste track on the album. But because of the slow-down bedazzled with bell-like sounds and guitar switching from left ear to right ear with calm drums and inspiring synths, this song takes a surprisingly majestic turn. Twirling in a duet, both guitars layer into one another in an astonishing, enlivening rise to a climactic cinematic moment. It seems like an emotional scene unfolding in a movie where two characters run toward each other, springing happy tears in the climax. Then, it all resolves into a lullaby ending with quiet singing, like someone whispering a story to a child. The soft dynamic provides a sweet transition from the intense music and was what brought this song so high on my list despite the displeasing first half.

11. “Records” – From here on, the songs listed are most definitely worth your time. This pop sound has an echoing, bouncy guitar. It’s very upbeat, catchy, and feel-good. One of the lyrics, “I don’t feel no pain,” shows the crux of the album with the double negative: a sad song with a happy tune. The lyrics preach music as the escape, and this pop-rock banger is just the song for that.

10. “Francesca” – The layering of synth and guitar adds a much lighter feeling to the guitar break, which matches the positive mood of the song. The melody, which is still stuck in my head, keeps the song intriguing.

9. “Should She Stay or Should She Go” – This song is sweet and chill, exemplified by the harmonizing vocals on the longer notes. The introduction of a jazzy trumpet part as the song fades out is a marvelous new addition, but the instrument dissipates with the song, leaving me unsatisfied. I wish the trumpet was used more in the ending, creating another dynamic to the song, rather than the incomplete-sounding segment that was far too short. Nonetheless, this song is great for a positive, calm mood.

8. “Can’t Dance, Don’t Ask” – This song hooked me right away with the introduction of synths as the principal part, offering a change in sounds. The middle completely reshapes its style and tone, but smoothly transitions back to the same melodic pattern as before. Overall, the song emanates an exuberant feeling contrary to the honest, bleak lyrics.

7. “Sheraton Commander” – Here’s a slow and sad composition, like “all my favorite songs.” Its pretty music is layered with an evocative build to drums, mimicking a military march. This song beautifully portrays a lonely, harsh winter.

6. “Get Off On The Pain” – It’s a sad, almost angsty, ranting song, clear by the scream of “right by your side” some ways into it. The melody is memorable; the guitar, exhilarating; the lyrics, emotional and unrivaled to cry to. It’s a must-listen after a tough day.

5. “The One That Got Away” – This one has a sad tone despite the upbeat, fast melody. It’s catchy and a sweet ode to lingering love. 

4. “Tastes Like Pain” – Right from the beginning, scream-like sounds scatter with a dark tone of quick string instruments piling on with heavy breathing and angry drums. The lyrics make up short phrases mirroring broken thoughts, all making this the perfect angrily sad, torment-fit song. The ranting of repeated chants at the end of the song is like nagging thoughts bothering you again and again and again, and the quick, shaky violin is just right for the intense mood. 

3. “What Happens After You” – With a change in style, this song falls more under the pop genre than the others on the album. The chorus is incredibly catchy. From start to end, it’s a head-bopping, feel-good song.

2. “Blue Like Jazz” – The main guitar riff of this song is catchy, and while it is very repetitive, the addition of a multitude of instruments prevents the notes from becoming tiresome. A sadder tone is also well mixed-in, especially with the lyrics embedded with color references. 

1. “What’s The Good Of Being Good” – This is my favorite song on the album; however, the beginning maintains rigid marching drums like those in “Sheraton Commander” which clashes poorly with the song’s mood with a displeasing lack of musicality. Yet, this song still holds the top spot in my rank because of the melancholic vocals alongside driving drums and guitar leading the song’s pulse while adding variety. A distorted voice is employed minimally for precise effect, and fits perfectly with the music. Its sound is not fully robotic but still warped just enough as it talks dully, like a voice in your head. Ultimately, its sad-angry-mostly-sad vibe, emulated by its relatable lyrics, makes this song stellar. It is the song to blast in the car when it’s cloudy and gray but not rainy and blue. You’re shouting the chorus lyrics, and nothing else matters in the world. This is that song.

Despite the consistent presence of the same instrumentation and tones, some songs in the SZNZ EPs displayed surprising melodies and style changes. For the excellence of their 2022 releases, Weezer continues to have a rightfully large presence in alternative music, and I expect they will for much time to come. These songs will not go unnoticed; these sounds and stories will be heard. This, Weezer, is the Good Of Being Good.