Album Reviews

Named after a store selling garden ornaments, Fountains Of Wayne have been cranking excellent tuneage since 1996 without changing a whole lot in their sound. And why should they? Like I said, they know how to write excellent tunes. Or don’t you remember “Radiation Vibe”, “Leave The Biker” or “Stacy’s Mom”?

“Sky Full Of Holes” is yet another powerpop album full of stories that come complete with punchlines and ridiculously catchy choruses. This time around they did however slow things down a little with more emphasis on acoustic songs (“A Road Song”, “Firelight Waltz”). It only makes their character sketches come more to life which can’t be a bad thing, right? Take the hapless entrepreneurs in “Richie And Ruben” or the boozer that is longing for love on a train (“Acera”)… both are kinda sad but the lyrics come with a wink and you can’t help but sympathize.

It’s good to see that 15 years in Fountains Of Wayne are still going strong on album number five and still know how to charm the listener. Here’s to fifteen more!