Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes (Album)
Fountains of Wayne released their fifth album ‘Sky Full of Holes’ late last year, as the follow up to 2007’s ‘Traffic and Weather’. For a band whose members are all in their forties, five albums over their fifteen years of activity is rather slow, so each album is perhaps judged a little more than most due to how long it may be until another one.
No doubt the band is most associated with their crossover hit ‘Stacy’s Mum’ from their third album ‘Welcome Interstate Managers’ in 2003. While they’re bigger in their native America, here in Australia, unless you are a fan yourself, you don’t hear Fountains of Wayne on the radio.
Reviews in the U.S. have been varied, ranging from very strong to finding the album missing the mark. The album is not going to change the world, and if you don’t already like the band, this effort is unlikely to change that. Anyone looking for the hooks and catchiness of ‘Stacy’s Mum’ is out of luck, there is not one song similar to the unabashed fun of that track to be found on ‘Sky Full of Holes’
Frontman and lyricist Chris Collingwood could be considered something of a poet. His lyrics follow on from one line to another much more than many songs you hear these days in terms of their flowing subject matter. The songs on the record are mostly observations of ordinary people in their suburban lifestyles. The lyrics are well thought out and meticulous, only this leaves little room for choruses and other normal song constructs that make a good song enjoyable or get stuck in your head.
There is plenty of pop culture references and celebrity names strewn amongst the descriptions of ordinary people’s lives. The songs are well constructed, in what is best described as extremely acoustic power pop. Collingwood’s nasal tones are a drawback and can tend to grate on the ears after repeated listening. To put it simply, this album belongs in the family of ‘contemporary adult’ music, which is where albums that that have no risks, don’t break any new ground, and err on the side of boring, (aka what your parents might listen to) belong.
The album’s fifteen songs blend together, mainly due to the similar subject matter. However there are a few highlights worth mentioning. Lead single ‘Richie and Ruben’, a song about two untrustworthy ‘larakins’ is the song you will remember most after listening to the disc. The other standout is the next track ‘Acela’ which involves some nice guitar hooks and breaks away from the bland delivery of most of the other tracks.
Existing fans may enjoy ‘Sky Full of Holes’, yet for new listeners, there just is not enough here to engage the listener for repeated listens. While it’s a well made album in terms of production, after a four year wait, it is an ultimately disappointing affair.
