 " Adam 's Song " is generally considered one of the band 's more serious songs , one " that hints at the emotional maturity they 'd show on later releases , " particularly their eponymous 2003 release . Richard Harrington of The Washington Post deemed the song " a powerful exploration of exhaustion and depression . " Alex Pappademas , writing for Spin , compared the song to the music of Weezer . Katy Kroll of Billboard recognized it among her top 10 singles of 2000 , calling it " a good old @-@ fashioned depressing song with mainstream flair . " Geoff Boucher , writing for the Los Angeles Times , called it " a poignant essay on a teen mulling over suicide " ; conversely , Steve Appleford of the Los Angeles Times dubbed it a " moving if unremarkable examination . " Scott Mervis of the Pittsburgh Post @-@ Gazette called it a " rare departure from the usual Blink fare . " 
