Bell does a good job of removing himself from that of his "day job". But, his songwriting has a long way to go. The songs spin around in your head, and are able to take you on a sober, exciting trip, but they're still lacking something. Bell's voice is solid, and his guitar playing is not in question. The band is tight, playing well off of each other. However, when Bell incorporates various rock influences into his space-y, and even ambient at times, concoctions, he nearly hits the mark before pulling the punch and continuing on, leaving the songs sounding empty at times.
Give him some time, though, and Bell should be able to make a record that plays with your mind as much as it makes you want to sing along - which is what he seems to be going for. Call it fear of being a front man, or some other reservation. Or maybe he just needs practicing writing more songs, and some time away from Weezer. Whatever the case, give him time and he'll hit the mark. But, The End of Imagining isn't quite there. I'll give it a C.