Ever since the arrival of its catchy new single, “Back to the Shack,” Weezer’s new album, “Everything Will Be Alright in the End,” has been highly anticipated as one that will take fans back to the band’s glory days.

For those who thought that Weezer’s last few albums have been disappointments (“Raditude” in 2009 and “Hurley” in 2010 were both forgettable, somewhat questionable pop experiments), the band’s ninth studio album is nothing short of a gift.

While it’s not exactly on par with “Pinkerton” or “The Blue Album,” Weezer’s latest effort is still much better than any of the previous six. One of its stronger points is that it is cohesive. Some of the songs miss the mark (for instance, opener “Ain’t Got Nobody” with its repetitive lyrics and pop beat), but overall, most of the tracks complement each other and come together to form a unified album. Both lyrically and rhythmically, everything flows nicely.

One of the standout tracks on “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” is “Da Vinci,” which has one of the best melodies in the whole album. “Cleopatra” offers thought-provoking lyrics about youth and beauty, while alternatively, “The Wasteland” has no lyrics, but instead features amazing guitar work that keeps the momentum of the album going even as it is winding down.

After years of trying to please the masses with substandard pop songs, Weezer has finally remembered who it is and who its audience is. Frontman Rivers Cuomo summed it up perfectly in “Back to the Shack,” singing, “We belong in the rock world. There is so much left to do. If we die in obscurity, oh well. At least we raised some hell.” Weezer fans both old and new will appreciate this album for its nostalgic value and its fun, upbeat songs.

_MOVE gives “Everything Will Be Alright in the End” 4 out of 5 stars._