JEFF The Brotherhood: We Are The Champions

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Weezer fans have complained for years about the band’s turn from the confluence of skater punk, crotch-thrusting metal, and malt-shop power-pop that defined its mid-’90s prime. But brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall of Nashville’s JEFF The Brotherhood don’t merely pine for “The Blue Album” on We Are The Champions; they’ve sidestepped Rivers Cuomo and created the album he’s no longer interested in making. While Champions at times explicitly apes Weezer—the Orralls should be grateful that the “whoa-oo-whoa-oo-oh’s” on “Bummer” aren’t trademarked—it’s more of a spiritual tribute than anything else, with the same sad-eyed smirkiness that made slackerdom seem vaguely heroic back when Winona Ryder was still a sex symbol.