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Who would have thought that in the middle of 2026, seemingly out of nowhere Weezer would announce not only a new tour, but a new album as well. On “We Might As Well Be Strangers,” somehow Weezer, in their 20+ year career, breaks new ground and discovers a fresh, modern indie sound with Wednesday.
Nostalgic Sound
One thing that is undeniable about Weezer and Rivers Cuomo is that their sound has been timeless. With each album, they manage to slightly reinvent themselves to fit into the landscape of the music industry that they are facing. On “We Might As Well Be Strangers,” that is still the same. The song has the edge of a modern indie song, and that can be attributed to their collaboration with Wednesday. The guitar in this song might as well be the very definition of what “shredding” means. On top of that, Cuomo’s voice sounds exactly like it did on the Blue album.
The lyrics of this song have that same feel to them as Weezer songs in the past. Cuomo and Hartzman of Wednesday sing about slowly falling out of touch and out of love with a partner that was so integral to their being. On the bridge they sing, “You tried to phone me up/ I tried to write you once/ But there was nothing to say/ So I threw the page away.” As Hartzman and Cuomo sing the bridge, what becomes highlighted is the lack of effort from both parties in the final days of this relationship, which ultimately leads to its downfall. It is a painfully relatable story whether it be a romantic, or platonic relationship.
Two Bands Combine
Nothing is over the top or flashy about this music video, but, to me, that is what makes it perfect. Simply combining the two bands into one shot feels almost like a passing of the torch moment from Weezer to Wednesday.
In the first half of the video, Weezer is in the foreground of the shot, which prioritizes them to us and makes us focus on Cuomo and the band. When Hartzman’s part begins, they switch and Wednesday becomes the new foreground of the shot. It signifies two different generations of rock music coming together.
A New Era
As someone who has loved Weezer since the beginning of high school, this song felt like, as I said earlier, a passing of the torch moment. Wednesday in their own way has risen to indie rock fame with the release of their album Bleeds last year. Their sound is uniquely their own, and on “We Might As Well Be Strangers,” they steal the show with it. Weezer clearly likes their sound too. With this collaboration, Weezer, for the first time in a while, sounds more unpolished and raw, kind of like Wednesday. This coming together of rock eras manages to sound like all of them at the same time.
What’s Next?
If you liked this song, I would urge you to listen to Bleeds by Wednesday. The production style is exactly the same across the entirety of the album, and tilts more to a alt-country sound as well. Also, Weezer’s new album releases later this year on August 21, and they will be playing a show in Boston soon!
