On his L.A. foursome’s sixth LP—technically self-titled, already known as the Red Album for its cover—Rivers Cuomo serenades his one true love: the childhood tunes that inspire him. The name-dropping “Heart Songs” offers a cheat sheet to Weezer’s different sounds—they took angsty introspection from Nirvana, prettiness from Cat Stevens and learned to love metal pop from Quiet Riot. Unfortunately, Cuomo’s once-passionate relationship with his muses has settled into a rut. Weezer dwells on his well-documented obsessions with bad girlfriends and geek nostalgia, but without the usual giddy, mathematically precise songcraft. While the sprightly “Troublemaker” skewers rock-star excess with self-mocking humor and punk-lite guitars, too often Cuomo settles for wan melodies that unravel like that sweater he once sang about.

Download “Troublemaker”