Disappointing

Let's face it - no Wheatus song can live up to Teenage Dirtbag. That was the song that introuced me (and many others) to Wheatus, and made me decide to buy their first album. Their first album was good, but no song on there was as good as Teenage Dirtbag. Then I waited AGES and finally Hand Over Your Loved ones came out. I was overjoyed, and got it straight away, but I was sadly disappointed. While there are some good songs on here (Randall), it's just too...average. It's nice enough to listen to, but none of the tunes stick in your head, and I expected better from Wheatus. As much as I hate to say it, it seems like Teenage Dirtbag truly was a one hit wonder.

Poor Wheatus

If Wheatus hadn't had that one hit song, Teenage Dirtbag, they'd have a huge cult following. Because that one song was played to death on the radio, people automatically think of Wheatus as some pop band one hit wonder. Maybe they're a one hit wonder, but considering the sorry state of radio here in the good ol' USA, that's not so much a bad thing.

When I first heard Teenage Dirtbag, I fell in love with it. I went out and bought the CD and found, to my infinite surprise, that I loved the entire album. I rocked this album in my car, in my friends' cars, in my stereo, in my computer, everywhere. My friends didn't get it at first, but I didn't really care. I played it anyway. Eventually they came around and bought the cd.

Coming from this vantage point, I really wanted a new wheatus CD, but I was really afraid that I had built it up too much in my mind. When I got the CD, I was really disappointed when I heard the first song "American in Amsterdam". I thought about ejecting the CD and throwing it out the window (But only for a second). Luckily, the second song is really where this CD starts. They got the single out of the way and made the rest of the CD for the fans, what few of us there are...

It's a strange CD, the weirdest part being the title of track 9, "Whole Amoeba". I guess it was an inside joke. The chorus goes "You had a hold on me but just for a while..." and when you first hear it, you think he's saying "Whole Amoeba". It's not hilarious, but it always makes me smile, and it gives me the feeling that Wheatus is sharing an inside joke with the fans.

In the end, it's their attitude that always wins me over. Sarcastic and juvenile, but surprisingly well written and executed. Go buy this CD, listen to it once before work, and after you've hummed the songs all day, listen to it on the way home. You won't be disappointed if you succumb to their contagious energy.

Weezer, Ween, Wheatus

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"Okay, so I'm a jerk and I'm a weirdo and even if I'm lucky I'll amount to zero but I thought that you'd love me anyway"

I hate it when people quote lyrics and think that you can get a sense of the incredible catchy melodies,
or the personal heartbreak that made a song meaningful to them.
And I just did it because I really love this album. And/or I suck.

Ironic nerd rock. Frankie Valley meets Quiet Riot.

Bitter, hopeful, funny, poignant, and utterly disposable.

Catchy, contagious, and something that you will sing along with in the car and your empty room.
Guaranteed to be one of those albums you play to death and then force your friends to buy
so that you know that someone will be listening to it.

This is one of those albums you will pull out 6 years from now and remember how much you loved it.

"why should I care about the long run? what should it matter to me?
I always knew I'd end up with no one, and now I know that the end is near, cause you've replaced me."

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