“Mexican Fender” is a great name for a Weezer song. Released today and titled after the informal name used by guitarists for the middle price range of Fender’s line of instruments–better than the beginner’s Squier, not quite as nice as the top-of-the-line American-made gear–it could be a spiritual sequel to songs like “In the Garage,” and celebrates the electric feeling of jamming with your friends, even when your dreams and ambition far outstrip your means. But Rivers Cuomo is decades removed from being a kid with posters of his heroes on the walls, and “Mexican Fender” sounds more like Def Leppard than a band of scrappy nerds lovingly sending them up.
The song will appear on Weezer’s new album Pacific Daydream, news of which leaked yesterday and was formally announced today. It’s got a genuinely interesting bridge, and it will certainly appeal to longtime fans of the band more than the creepy uncanny valley EDM of first single “Feels Like Summer,” but that’s not saying much. Hear it below. Pacific Daydream is out October 27.
