The seventh studio album from 90s pop punk pioneers Weezer blends their usual upbeat guitars with new pop influences, and while the result can be fun in places, it lacks the edge and originality to really be worthwhile.

Weezer are lucky they have so many irreverent, tongue in cheek rock classics under their belt. They're lucky they still retain a certain level of credibility from the days when they used to sing about lesbian girlfriends, underage fans and Buddy Holly. They're lucky we know that they've never taken themselves seriously. 'Cause if we didn't know that, or if anyone else had presented this album, it might come across as an incoherent collection of clichéd, formulaic emo rubbish.

For the most part the L.A rockers have followed the usual blueprint. Songs about girls, sex and partying are underpinned by distorted guitars, simple melodies, and thankfully, a healthy dollop of irony. 'Let It All Hang Out' most closely resembles classic era Weezer, with squealing guitar solos and simple yet effective harmonies, while they have, once again, finished off the album with a poor, ineffectual slow song, 'I Don't Want To Let You Go'.

In a strange way Raditude is the most interesting where it bears the least resemblance to the Weezer you expect. Rivers Cuomo has been consciously moving in a more poppy direction, covering Lady GaGa and MGMT in live shows and collaborating with everyone from Katy Perry to Adam Lambert, and it shows. The Indian vocals and dance beats of 'Love Is The Answer' certainly provide respite from the unyielding guitar pop, while 'Can't Stop Partying' sounds like emo meets GaGa herself, and that's before Lil Wayne turns up for a bit of a rap. It's an odd combination but it's not a total failure, and it's certainly stronger than some of the other predictable fare on offer here.

Weezer's songs have always had a certain formula, but over the last number of years, it's almost as if they've become kind of parody of themselves. It's funny the way parts of Raditude sound more 90s than the material Weezer actually recorded in the decade. It's fun in a harmless sort of way, but Raditude still fails to deliver even one track as catchy as we all know Weezer can be.