ROCK and Roll, Pt. 3

"Say hello to the new sound, same as the old sound." About a minute into the last song, the band puts their finger on the exact reason why their 2001 album, Rock and Roll Part Three, is as good as it is. Some bands sound a lot like other bands, but Ozma practically is Weezer. It is actually hard to believe that they aren't Weezer at some moments. But this is not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, Ozma may have arguably written the best Weezer album of 2001 (and yes, the real thing also had an album come out the same year). Filled to the brim with catchy choruses, oddball lyrics, and poppy keyboards, Ozma knows this style of music like the back of their hands. "Domino Effect," "Natalie Portman," "Last Dance" — it is all quality emo pop that is short and catchy. The only point where they really significantly depart from the Weezer sound is on "Battlescars," an epic of whiny vocals and strummed guitars that has far more in common with other indie epics, like Pavement's "Fillmore Jive." But all comparisons aside, this is a solid album of alternative rock that just happens to sound exactly like another good band who makes the same kind of music. Still, fans of this sort of music should give this a listen; it is really quite good.