Album A Day: Fountains of Wayne – Welcome Interstate Managers

Artist: Fountains of Wayne
Album: Welcome Interstate Managers
Release Date: June 10, 2003

Anytime someone suggests that pop music is by definition vapid and devoid of any thought or nuance, Fountains of Wayne is my immediate counterpoint. While it’s not “pop” music in the same way that Katy Perry or Justin Timberlake are, it’s got a lot of the same qualities. Simple melodies, crafty, infectious hooks, and lots of musings on love and relationships are what Welcome Interstate Managers is all about. But Fountains of Wayne know better than to just churn out the same story about the same love over and over again for 55 minutes. Instead, master songsmith Adam Schlesinger creates a distinct personality and character to each song, while at the same time making each song unmistakbly a Fountains of Wayne venture. Between the perverse sexual fantasy of “Stacy’s Mom” to the oddball anthology of “Mexican Wine” to the simple joy of “Hey Julie”, each song has it’s own flavor and character, making Welcome Interstate Managers a fascinating listen on several levels. In essence, it’s a testament to Schlesinger’s brilliant songwriting that doesn’t center upon himself (paging Mr. Wentz) and is still thoughtful and intelligent. It may not be what the masses want and it may not generate sales or airplay, but Fountains of Wayne still have a rare, unique thing going on, and it’s exactly the kind of thing pop music should be taking notes from.

Fountains of Wayne – Hey Julie [iTunes] (YSI)

Extra Credit: Zach Braff sings this song in an episode of Scrubs. Who does he sing it to? (Give me the actress’s name).

==TJ==