SZNZ: Spring
ep
ArtistWeezer
CoverWeezer - Spring.png
ReleasedMarch 20, 2022
Studio
Genre
Length20:51
Label
Producer
Prev year2021
Year2022
Next year2022

SZNZ: Spring is the seventh EP by American rock band Weezer, and the first of four EPs in their SZNZ (pronounced "seasons") project. It was released digitally on March 20, 2022, coinciding with the spring equinox.[4] A physical version was released on CD later the same year,[5] with a vinyl release in early 2023.[6] The album produced one single, titled "A Little Bit of Love".[7]

Background

The SZNZ concept was first revealed by Rivers Cuomo in an interview in January 2021.[8] Cuomo stated that he wanted the Spring album to feature a "happy, chill, stress-free" theme, later expressing a desire for an "acoustic, breezy" song in a similar vein to "Island in the Sun".[9]

On February 2, 2022, Cuomo shared a Google spreadsheet with fans which included the release dates, possible producers, overall emotion, spirituality tone, planned genre, and planned singles for each of the SZNZ EPs. Spring's emotion was set to be optimistic sorrow.[10] The spreadsheet also included the band's look and the aesthetic era the clothes and EP are based on. Aesthetically, the band linked SZNZ: Spring to a pre-Christian era with influences from Celts, Paganism, and Wicca.

Release

On March 16, 2022, Weezer released the lead single, "A Little Bit of Love".[11] On March 16, Cuomo used his game, Weezle (a Weezer-themed spin on the popular web game Wordle), to preview snippets of the forthcoming Spring songs.[12]

SZNZ: Spring was officially released on March 20, 2022, the day of the Spring Equinox.

Critical reception

SZNZ: Spring received generally favorable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 63 based on 7 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13] In a mixed review, Alex Hudson at Exclaim! stated that, while not the worst Weezer album, "it's frustrating to hear them sabotaging their own songs in a futile attempt to pin down the sound of a season. So far, SZNZ feels less like a lofty concept and more like silly gimmick."[14] Brady Gerber of Pitchfork was more critical, opining "unlike the expensive-sounding and often pretty OK Human—and a rarity for any proper Weezer release—SZNZ sounds cheap." However, Gerber considered the tracks "A Little Bit of Love" and "Wild at Heart" highlights of the album.[15][16]

Track listing

Notes

  • "The Sound of Drums" contains portions of the poems, "Back to the River" by Abigail Spinner McBride, and "Air I Am" by Andras Corban-Arthen.
  • The vinyl version puts track 7 "Wild at Heart" as track 8, and "Across the Meadow" as track 7 on the tracklist.

Personnel

Weezer

Technical

  • Ethan Gruska – production
  • Suzy Shinn – production
  • Jake Sinclair – production
  • Rachel White – engineering
  • Rouble Kapoor – engineering
  • JC LeResche – engineering
  • Jason Hiller – engineering
  • Sejo Navajas – engineering assistance
  • John Sinclair – mixing (all except "A Little Bit of Love")
  • Rob Kinelski – mixing on "A Little Bit of Love"
  • Eli Heisler – mix assistance on "A Little Bit of Love"
  • Bernie Grundman – mastering
  • Tension Division – art direction, design

Charts

Chart performance for SZNZ: Spring
Chart (2022)Peak
position

References

  1. ^ Houghton, Harley (March 22, 2022). "Review: Weezer's SZNZ: Spring". Music Talkers - Latest Music News & Artist Exposure
  2. ^ "Nové desky 11/2022 - od Charli XCX přes Weezer po Little Boots". musicserver.cz
  3. ^ "Weezer Set Fire to 'Summer' with Their Heaviest Album Ever | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca
  4. ^ Deville, Chris (March 20, 2022). "Stream Weezer's New EP SZNZ: Spring". Stereogum. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  5. ^ "SZNZ: Spring CD". Weezer
  6. ^ "SZNZ: Spring Little Bit of Love Transparent Red Vinyl (Pre Order) | Featured"
  7. ^ "Weezer Announce 'SZNZ' EP Project: Listen To 'Spring's "A Little Bit of Love". March 16, 2022.
  8. ^ Goggins, Joe (2021-01-21). "Weezer: 'Our fans don't seem to age out. We must be doing something right'". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  9. ^ "Weezer: "I'm very anxious right now about what it means to be human"". Upset. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  10. ^ "weezer: SZNS - Google Sheets". 2022-02-17. Archived February 17, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  11. ^ "New Song: "A Little Bit Of Love" Out Now". Weezer. Retrieved 2022-12-10.
  12. ^ "Register". No. 1504277581599707136. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  13. ^ "SZNZ: Spring [EP] by Weezer". – via www.metacritic.com.
  14. ^ "Weezer's 'SZNZ: Spring' Is as Annoying as Renaissance Faire Cosplay | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca
  15. ^ Gerber, Brady (March 29, 2022). "Rivers Cuomo toys with Renaissance Faire shtick on the first of four planned EPs inspired by Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  16. ^ Wilson, Rob (March 23, 2022). "EP Review: Weezer - SZNZ: Spring". Gigwise. Archived September 11, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 2, 2026.