Fountains of Wayne

Thursday Throwdown: Fountains of Wayne

Fountains of Wayne, of “Stacey’s Mom” fame, released a new studio album called Sky Full of Holes last week. Critics are weighing in on this long-time pop-punk band. Are they all grown up, or have they stopped growing? AV Club’s Steven Hyden gives the record a fairly optimistic B+, just shy of an A rating. He says, “Superficially, Sky Full Of Holes replicates the sticky-sweet power-pop that Fountains Of Wayne has reliably turned out since the mid-’90s, when the band was as out-of-step with grunge and rap-rock as it is now among too-cool indie bands.” Hyden continues, “Having already addressed the end of adolescence (on 1999’s Utopia Parkway), post-collegiate doldrums (2003’s Welcome Interstate Managers), and thirtysomething single life (2007’sTraffic And Weather), Fountains Of Wayne dutifully settles into adulthood on Sky Full Of Holes.” Not so sure about the adulthood, Sputnik Music’s Rudy Klapper gives the release a 2.5 out of 5 on their rating scale. Of Sky Full of Holes he says, “Throw in an aces hook that almost makes all these mundane Everyman problems seem worthwhile and you have your next Fountains of Wayne single, albeit one that sounds pretty damn similar to the one before and after it.” Ultimately, Klapper is disappointed. “For longtime fans it just sounds tired and dusty. Fountains of Wayne are still doing what they’ve always done, but I think I’ve finally grown up.” If you’d like to hear the album and judge for yourself, I’ve got good news. The full album with a bonus exclusive song is available for $4.99 for a limited time over at Amazon.com. Just click here. -Erin O.