Weezer cannot catch a break. The band created two of the most beloved rock albums of the 90’s, 1994’s “The Blue Album” and 1996’s “Pinkerton.” And ever since then, the band has struggled to strike the same gold they did with those iconic releases.

Their subsequent albums often verged on self-parody. What came naturally and organically on their first albums now felt forced and contrived. Moments of this occur in “Everything Will Be Alright In The End,” but they are few and far between.

The band seems painfully aware that they have lost touch with their fans for the past decade. In “Back To The Shack” vocalist Rivers Cuomo sings “Take me back/ Back to the shack/ Back to the strat with the lightning strap/ Kick in the door/ More hardcore/ Rockin’ out like it’s 94.” This lyric makes it look like Weezer has finally gone off the deep end, but this is not quite the case. At least not in a bad way.

In many ways the long awaited phrase “return to form” can finally apply to a new Weezer album. Echoes of Weezer classics such as “My Name Is Jonas,” and “Buddy Holly” can be heard throughout this record. The carefree melodies and witty tongue-in-cheek lyrics that we all fell in love with return to an extent.

The wide-eyed wonder and youthful exuberance found on Weezer’s early records is long gone, but after all 20 years have gone by. Songs such as “Eulogy For A Rock Band,” “Lonely Girl” and “Go Away” recapture some of the magic.

“Everything Will Be Alright In The End” may not reach the same level as “The Blue Album” or “Pinkerton,” but it manages to capture that feeling that people everywhere experience when they heard those songs for the first time. What else could anyone really ask for?