Weezer

If Weezer's last pair of records was the sound of a band not giving a fuck, then Raditude is the band's most calculated bid for pop glory since the Green Album. Pre-hiatus purists will quite rightly be livid with what they'll view as the latest disappointment in a slow postmillennial fade of a once great band. But if the inevitable Pinkerton comparisons can be put aside for a moment, Raditude, rife with terrible song titles ("I'm Your Daddy," "The Girl Got Hot"), multiple songwriting collaborations from outside the band and an oddball guest spot from Lil Wayne, proves to be a very catchy, cohesive and fun album. Opener "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To" effortlessly captures awkward teen romance, while the aforementioned Lil Wayne guest verse (sample lyric: "Weezer and its Weezy/Upsidedown MTV") works as either an ironic send-up of vapid club culture or as an actual vapid club banger. Although far from perfect (see the insipid, Bollywood-inspired "Love is the Answer"), this is the most consistent record Weezer have put out in years.