I know that people review albums or EPs, but what about songs? ’90s slouchy icons Weezer released a new single called “Hero” and I’ve been wanting to dissect it. I feel like the setup had a lot of potential but the execution fell flat.

There’s an epic buildup, to be sure, what with the slightly screechy guitar reminiscent of early ’00s rock or Weezer’s other releases. I love the lyrics, too: “When I was a kid, I thought I’d save the world/Running ’round and chasing all the criminals/Swinging on a web, flying in the sky/Shooting lasers from my eyes.” The guitar punches through each line for full emo effect.

Then the chorus kicks in and that’s where, to me, the song falls apart. The guitar slows down and starts chugging into a minor chord. It’s not pulling any punches anymore. You have the vigor of the narrator reminiscing about his childhood and then he just retreats.

I like the second verse because it gives you examples of other superhero-esque concepts: becoming invisible (perfect for angsty listeners) or hammering down hard like you’re Iron Fist. Here the guitar is an ideal match since it’s going full throttle again.

The end of the song is the chorus again. It becomes repetitive and even echoing before it finally slows to a limp fade.

My rating? 3.5/5.