SZNZ: Spring
| SZNZ: Spring | ||||
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| Released | March 20, 2022 | |||
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| Length | 20:51 | |||
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| Weezer chronology | ||||
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| Weezer EP chronology | ||||
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| Singles from SZNZ: Spring | ||||
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SZNZ: Spring is the seventh EP by American rock band Weezer, and the first of four EPs in their SZNZ (pronounced "seasons") project. It was released digitally on March 20, 2022, coinciding with the spring equinox.[5] A physical version was released on CD later the same year,[6] with a vinyl release in early 2023.[7] The album produced one single, titled "A Little Bit of Love".[8]
Background
[edit | edit source]The SZNZ concept was first revealed by Rivers Cuomo in an interview in January 2021.[9] Cuomo stated that he wanted the Spring album to feature a "happy, chill, stress-free" theme, later expressing a desire for an "acoustic, breezy" song in a similar vein to "Island in the Sun".[10]
On February 2, 2022, Cuomo shared a Google spreadsheet with fans which included the release dates, possible producers, overall emotion, spirituality tone, planned genre, and planned singles for each of the SZNZ EPs. Spring's emotion was set to be optimistic sorrow.[11] The spreadsheet also included the band's look and the aesthetic era the clothes and EP are based on. Aesthetically, the band linked SZNZ: Spring to a pre-Christian era with influences from Celts, Paganism, and Wicca.
Release
[edit | edit source]On March 16, 2022, Weezer released the lead single, "A Little Bit of Love".[12] On March 16, Cuomo used his game, Weezle (a Weezer-themed spin on the popular web game Wordle), to preview snippets of the forthcoming Spring songs.[13]
SZNZ: Spring was officially released on March 20, 2022, the day of the Spring Equinox.
Critical reception
[edit | edit source]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 63/100[14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | StarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svg[15] |
| The A.V. Club | B−[16] |
| Exclaim! | 5/10[17] |
| Pitchfork | 4.4/10[18] |
| Riff Magazine | StarStarStarStarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[19] |
| Rolling Stone | StarStarStarFile:Star empty.svgFile:Star empty.svg[20] |
SZNZ: Spring received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 63 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14] In a mixed review, Alex Hudson at Exclaim! stated that, while not the worst Weezer album, "it's frustrating to hear them sabotaging their own songs in a futile attempt to pin down the sound of a season. So far, SZNZ feels less like a lofty concept and more like silly gimmick."[17] Brady Gerber of Pitchfork was more critical, opining "unlike the expensive-sounding and often pretty OK Human—and a rarity for any proper Weezer release—SZNZ sounds cheap." However, Gerber considered the tracks "A Little Bit of Love" and "Wild at Heart" highlights of the album.[18]
Track listing
[edit | edit source]All tracks are written by Rivers Cuomo, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Opening Night" | 2:27 | |
| 2. | "Angels on Vacation" | 3:25 | |
| 3. | "A Little Bit of Love" | 2:44 | |
| 4. | "The Garden of Eden" | 3:15 | |
| 5. | "The Sound of Drums" |
| 3:16 |
| 6. | "All This Love" |
| 2:50 |
| 7. | "Wild at Heart" | 2:54 | |
| Total length: | 20:51 | ||
Notes
- ^ The vinyl version puts track 7 "Wild at Heart" as track 8 on the tracklist.
Personnel
[edit | edit source]Weezer
- Rivers Cuomo – lead vocals, guitars, backing vocals
- Patrick Wilson – drums
- Brian Bell – guitars, backing vocals
- Scott Shriner – bass, backing vocals
Technical
- Jake Sinclair – production
- Suzy Shinn – production
- Ethan Gruska – production
- Bernie Grundman – mastering
- John Sinclair – mixing (1, 2, 4–7)
- Rob Kinelski – mixing (3)
- Eli Heisler – mix assistance (3)
- Rouble Kapoor – engineering
- Jason Hiller – engineering
- Rachel White – engineering
- JC LeResche – engineering
- Sejo Navajas – engineering assistance
Charts
[edit | edit source]| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[23] | 37 |
Notes
[edit | edit source]References
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- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
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