Rivers Cuomo and the rest of Weezer were lost in the wilderness for a number of years.

After 2002’s Maladroit, Weezer began an arduous slide that contained overzealous experimentation. Because of different band members sharing the spotlight with Cuomo on the Red Album, and the external albatross of Jermaine Dupree, Lil’ Wayne, and Dr. Luke on Raditude, Weezer hasn’t really been Weezer for a long time.

But with the arrival of Hurley (and the warm smile of Jorge Garcia gracing its cover), Weezer has found their way out of the desert. They’re finally back.

Weezer has always been a deeply intimate band, with lead singer Cuomo conveying his deepest feelings through delectable power pop, unkempt guitar riffs, and cheerful, yet penetrating lyrics. Hurley delivers all of the above in grand fashion right from the get-go, opening with “Memories”, a three-minute slab of raw rockage with the crew from “Jackass” supporting Cuomo’s untamed screams.

“Memories” rolls straight into “Ruling Me,” one of the best Weezer songs in years and one that could easily be song No. 11 on either the Blue or Green albums. With lyrics like “We first met in the lunchroom/My ocular nerve went pop, zoom”, Cuomo proves that even at 40, he’s still a lovable dweeb.

“Trainwrecks” proves to be another expression of Cuomo’s self-deprecating character, with chugging guitars and contradicting lyrics when he shouts, “We’re digging through the couch for cash/We’re taking cabs cause both our cars are trashed/But we’re still kicking ass/We are Trainwrecks”.

Like Weezer’s last two albums, the band does get some outside help, but it’s much more subtle this time around. Alt-country singer Ryan Adams co-wrote “Run Away”, a poetic song about inevitable loss, and actor Michael Cera provides cheerful backup vocals on the harmony-heavy pop chant, “Hang On.”

“Smart Girls”, which could be this decade’s Mamba No. 5, could dominate a binary relationship with Pinkerton’s lead song, “Tired of Sex.” Both feature Cuomo name-dropping a number of girls, but unlike in “Tired of Sex”, he seems more than eager in “Smart Girls,” to meet new women.

The only two clunkers on Hurley are “Where’s My Sex?” and “Brave New World”, both of which aren’t awful, but they sound like b-sides that don’t fit well with the rest of the strong lineup.

While “Once but never again” represents the genius of their first two albums (and although what followed was never as good), it doesn’t mean Weezer has stayed stagnant. Some of Weezer’s albums have definitely been stronger than others, and while the last few years have been rough, Hurley once again proves that Weezer knows how to rock.

One could argue it’s the best thing since Pinkerton, and you wouldn’t be wrong.

Hurley is available online and in stores now.

Contact Jonathan Roisman at [email protected]