“Pinkerton” will turn 20 this upcoming week. The fact that it now holds its own sense of allure is a miracle; while it was met with fairly negative reception upon its release, its influence has grown far and wide. While Weezer’s first self-titled album re-introduced power pop to the masses and helped to clear away some of the grungier music at the time, “Pinkerton” brought a sort of stark, emotional honesty that would soon be adapted into mainstream music.

While yes, “Pinkerton” could be classified as the godfather of emo music, that sort of pigeonholing ignores the more accessible aspects of the music. “El Scorcho” could have easily been slipped into their first album and fit in just fine, while “Why Bother” and “Across the Sea” have plenty of hooks. However, the album is certainly notable for getting significantly darker and more experimental with the songwriting, as shown on “Falling for You” and “No Other One.”

However, the lyrical content is what stands out the most. Starkly honest in a way few mainstream artists at the time were, the lyrics read more as diary entries than song lyrics. Most songs are often significantly darker than the over-romanticized feelings from their first album, although not always for the better. Some lyrics have not exactly aged well; specifically “Pink Triangle,” where singer Rivers Cuomo expresses frustration towards a girl for not somehow immediately letting him know that she was gay.

Even with some awkward parts in the music, the album for the most part holds up pretty well. However, the clear emotional standout is “Butterfly.” The last song on the album, it features just Cuomo and an acoustic guitar as he apologizes to a girl he was involved with. He ends the song saying “I told you I would return / when the robin makes his nest / but I ain’t ever coming back.” The sting of the words is apparent, but the sweetness of his voice makes it feel alright.