When I was last in Mumbai (in May), Planet M had (finally) received a stack of Fountains of Wayne’s latest CD, Welcome Interstate Managers. About time, I said to myself. I returned to Planet M a few weeks later, and as far as I could see, not one copy had been sold. Now, there are many crimes against culture, but few are so heinous as overlooking a new offering by Fountains of Wayne (known hereafter as FOW). It is time for the Great Nation of India to correct this dastardly oversight, and we’ll try to put this behind us and move on.
FOW is a four-man rock group from Long Island, New York. Though they would probably cringe at my description of their genre, the best I can provide is ’’retro power-pop.’’ Their best work reminds me of a more-literate Badfinger or a less-irritating Cars (in fact, their hit single from late 2003, ’’Stacy’s Mom’’ hearkens back to The Cars’ ’’My Best Friend’s Girl, ’’ albeit even catchier, if that is possible).
Formed in the early ’90s, FOW has developed a devoted following in the U.S. due to their infectious melodies and clever lyrics, most of which depict ordinary life in Long Island and New Jersey (’’Fountains of Wayne’’ is the name of a garden supply store in Wayne, NJ). They work much like the Beatles did, crafting their songs layer by layer, and exploring a variety of different styles--no two FOW songs are alike, yet when you hear one, you instantly recognize their trademark sound.
The heart of FOW is the combination of Adam Schlesinger’s remarkable songwriting craft and Chris Collingwood’s beatific, Beach Boys-like vocals and harmonies. Schlesinger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his soundtrack for That Thing You Do, the Tom Hanks film about a 60s rock group, The Wonders, is well-known for his ability to encapsulate an entire era in one of his 3-minute pop symphonies (he is also the brains and songwriter behind the faux-French group, Ivy).
Their first album, Fountains of Wayne was filled with feel-good melodies, but they really hit their stride with Utopia Parkway, their second album. Utopia Parkway was a giant stylistic advance, with a number of witty numbers primarily centered around teenage angst. However, fame and fortune didn’t arrive until the song ’’Stacy’s Mom, ’’ from Welcome Interstate Managers started appearing on MTV.
Whereas Utopia Parkway was firmly grounded in exploring the sad and funny life of the Western teenager (which isn’t that different from the Eastern teenager, teenagers being teenagers), Welcome Interstate Managers is built around songs that describe the soul-deadening power of American Corporate life. Songs like ’’Bright Future in Sales, ’’ ’’Little Red Light, ’’ and ’’Hey Julie’’ are told from the point of a protagonist who is just barely holding on to a sense of his own worth after repeatedly being beaten down by the demands of his boss.
The CD has perhaps the best 1-2-3 punch of any album in recent pop history with the power-pop songs ’’Mexican Wine’’ (where, among other things, a guy is killed by an exploding cell phone), ’’Bright Future in Sales’’ (with an amazingly catchy upbeat melody, but concerning the descent into alcoholism of the protagonist), and ’’Stacy’s Mom’’ (a modern-day Dustin-Hoffman-in-The Graduate story). You’ll probably want to just press ’’repeat’’ for these three while you’re driving down the road; just watch out that you don’t run any red lights.
FOW then moves on past the power-pop genre with a few folkier songs--’’Hackensack’’ (where the hero daydreams about a former classmate who has gone on to Hollywood), ’’Valley Winter Song’’ (which sounds almost exactly like mid-career Simon & Garfunkel) and ’’Halley’s Waitress’’ (a hilarious postmodern funk gem about a slow waitress). They round out the album with a country & western (!) tune and a trio of 60s psychedelic songs, ’’Peace and Love’’ (which Volkswagen should pick up for their jingle), ’’Bought for a Song, ’’ and ’’Supercollider, ’’ a trippy song that probably makes more sense for one who is recreationally impaired.
FOW, along with another fantastic U.S. group, The Flaming Lips, is one of the few groups for which I wait for new albums with baited breath. If you want to introduce your friends to a truly creative, truly catchy Western rock group, Fountains of Wayne is the ticket. Now if you can just get someone’s attention at the Planet M cash counter, you can check out.
Note: If you’d like preview of some of FOW’s music, and their latest videos, go to https://fountainsofwayne.com/media/. The videos are available in both Windows Media and Quicktime formats.