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22 December 2023
It's been years since the last Fountains of Wayne album, Utopia Parkway. I bought and dug it, just like their self-titled debut. It'd gotten to the point where I was afraid they'd never release another one. Then, at the last tastes like chicken staff meeting, the Heaven-sent angel known as Insane Wayne Chinsang glided down the stairs with a promo copy of their new CD, Welcome Interstate Managers, in his arms!
I tried to play it cool, but failed miserably. "Ooh, ooh! Is that the new Fountains of Wayne?"
Wayne was all, "Yeah. You like them? Because I fucking hated it."
How? How could Wayne hate this band? Sure, they're all nasally-voiced and poppy and pretty and whimsical; most of the things that he seems to hate. But they're Fountains of Wayne. Fountains of him, fer fook's sake!
Personally, I liked the new album. Not as immediately good as I remembered the other two, but I think it'll grow on me. Wholesome pop rock music goodness. They do stray from their normal poppy rock sound a little on this effort with the country-tinged song "Hung Up On You", which, surprisingly, didn't make my ears bleed. I actually enjoyed a lil' country ditty. Sort of. I mean,.. I hope they don't do it again, but this one was okay.
Often on this album they reminded me of Matthew Sweet, another favorite of mine that would probably make angry laser beams shoot out of Insane Wayne's ears. In fact, I started thinking this was the album I wish Matthew Sweet would make. "Halley's Waitress", about waiting forever for a waitress to bring you coffee, had a Ben Folds in lounge lizard mode feel to it. But, even though they remind me of these people, it's not like Fountains of Wayne are ripping them off.
These songs are little tales. They're little ditties to amuse and move the listener. The first song on the album, "Mexican Wine", a fave of mine, tells the tale of a guy who's killed in a cellular phone explosion. The story goes from there. It's not hilarious. It doesn't try really, really hard to be funny. It's just funny and subtly clever. Dry and quietly witty.
I'm not sure how old these guys are; in their thirties, I think. But they sound like fairly sensitive 16 year olds with good imaginations and an ear for melody. It might be wimpy Muzak to some, and it is actually. But I still enjoy it.
Anyway, the first single off Welcome Interstate Managers is called "Stacy's Mom". It's about a young guy, probably a little skinny and pale, lusting after his girlfriend's momma. The song comes complete with a sing-songy chorus of "Stacy's mom has got it goin' on!"
If you're amused by that, check out this album. If it bugs you, avoid it like a naked Kathy Bates.
PURCHASE THIS OR SIMILAR ITEMS
I tried to play it cool, but failed miserably. "Ooh, ooh! Is that the new Fountains of Wayne?"
Wayne was all, "Yeah. You like them? Because I fucking hated it."
How? How could Wayne hate this band? Sure, they're all nasally-voiced and poppy and pretty and whimsical; most of the things that he seems to hate. But they're Fountains of Wayne. Fountains of him, fer fook's sake!
Personally, I liked the new album. Not as immediately good as I remembered the other two, but I think it'll grow on me. Wholesome pop rock music goodness. They do stray from their normal poppy rock sound a little on this effort with the country-tinged song "Hung Up On You", which, surprisingly, didn't make my ears bleed. I actually enjoyed a lil' country ditty. Sort of. I mean,.. I hope they don't do it again, but this one was okay.
Often on this album they reminded me of Matthew Sweet, another favorite of mine that would probably make angry laser beams shoot out of Insane Wayne's ears. In fact, I started thinking this was the album I wish Matthew Sweet would make. "Halley's Waitress", about waiting forever for a waitress to bring you coffee, had a Ben Folds in lounge lizard mode feel to it. But, even though they remind me of these people, it's not like Fountains of Wayne are ripping them off.
These songs are little tales. They're little ditties to amuse and move the listener. The first song on the album, "Mexican Wine", a fave of mine, tells the tale of a guy who's killed in a cellular phone explosion. The story goes from there. It's not hilarious. It doesn't try really, really hard to be funny. It's just funny and subtly clever. Dry and quietly witty.
I'm not sure how old these guys are; in their thirties, I think. But they sound like fairly sensitive 16 year olds with good imaginations and an ear for melody. It might be wimpy Muzak to some, and it is actually. But I still enjoy it.
Anyway, the first single off Welcome Interstate Managers is called "Stacy's Mom". It's about a young guy, probably a little skinny and pale, lusting after his girlfriend's momma. The song comes complete with a sing-songy chorus of "Stacy's mom has got it goin' on!"
If you're amused by that, check out this album. If it bugs you, avoid it like a naked Kathy Bates.
PURCHASE THIS OR SIMILAR ITEMS
artid
1463
Old Image
5_11_fountains.jpg
issue
vol 5 - issue 11 (jul 2003)
section
entertainmental