Out-of-State Plates
Rated: NONE
WorkNameSort: Out-of-State Plates
Power-poppers who understand the importance of “power” in the equation, Fountains of Wayne are one of the few ultra-catchy confections that don’t get stuck in your teeth, and this two-CD collection of non-album tracks, unreleased material and two new originals is as representative of their approach as their three studio albums. Covers of ELO, Jackson Browne and Burt Bacharach (and, of course, the Britney Spears hit “… Baby One More Time”) add to the playful tone and are as worthy as the group’s originals. This being a mop-up collection of loose tracks, the approach ranges from home four-track demos to studio recordings. In either case, the effect is never amateurish. Fountains’ Adam Schlesinger is an accomplished studio engineer and unable to NOT polish the corners.
Their main agenda is to pump out hooks with a snarky sense of irony that never undermines their sincerity. They revel in suburbia’s banality, transforming the everyday into something worth celebrating. In-jokes take their place next to pretty harmonies and deliberately wimpy vocals inflated by unwavering beats and hard rock guitars, as if Ray Davies had been born in New Jersey and hooked up with Cheap Trick at an after-hours bar. Whether they’re exploring the idea of a “California Sex Lawyer” or paying homage to the holidays (“I Want an Alien for Christmas,” “Chanukah Under the Stars” wha? No Kwanzaa, fellas?), the approach never alters. FOW primarily songwriters Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood are professional adolescents. Playful liner notes detailing the tracks round out the package nicely.
This article appears in Jun 29 – Jul 5, 2005.