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Fountains of Wayne | Sky Full of Holes

Yep Roc (2011)
By RYAN REED  |  August 3, 2011
3.0 3.0 Stars

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Instead of a "Stacy's Mom" joke, I'd like to open this review with notable Fountains of Wayne statistics. Adam Schlesinger, bassist/co-songwriter/producer since the band's mid-'90s inception, has received nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Tony, an Emmy, three Grammys (one win, for the aforementioned "Stacy's Mom"), and a daytime Emmy. He's one decorated dude, snatching up prizes like Boy Scout badges, collaborating with folks as diverse as Katy Perry, Stephen Colbert, and the gang from Sesame Street. But Sky Full of Holes, the first Fountains album in four years, is another reminder of why the band deserve some limelight of their own. The wordplay is stellar as always, the hilarious couplets and stinging one-liners landing quickly and furiously on tracks like opener "The Summer Place." But it's the sugar-coated melodies that are still the strongest selling point ("Richie and Ruben" is a swelling, romantic pop gem). The production is one-dimensional, and, at 45 minutes, the wondrous power pop loses a bit of its sheen as the tracks barrel onward. "Radio Bar" is a charming tale of camaraderie surviving disillusionment, but its sanitized horn stabs and obvious melodies are an awkward whiff of Jimmy Buffett. It's still catchy, effortless — just like everything else on Sky Full of Holes. Even when Fountains of Wayne are phoning it in, they're never less than professional. Think of this as a thoughtfully-written greeting card of an album.

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE + NICOLE ATKINS | Brighton Music Hall, 158 Brighton Ave, Allston | Aug 12 + 13 @ 8 pm | $12 | 18+ | 617.779.0140

Related: KT Tunstall | Tiger Suit, The Sounds | Something To Die For, Emmylou Harris | Hard Bargain, More more >
  Topics: CD Reviews , Music, Adam Schlesinger, Fountains of Wayne,  More more >
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