CD of The Week

Fountains Of Wayne have been making tragic-comic tales set to hooky power-pop for 15 years now. This summer (because all FoW albums should be released in the summer) brings us Sky Full Of Holes, their fifth studio album and a more mature offering than 2007’s glossy Traffic And Weather. Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger slow down the pace a step or two on their latest catchy collection of melodies about the middle class.

Sky Full Of Holes opens with “The Summer Place,” a wonderful snapshot of a vacation home (for better and worse) and one of the hookiest songs on the album. “Acela” is a jaunty, piano-driven train ride (and future Amtrak jingle?) and “A Dip In The Ocean” is classic FoW full of great harmonies. The gentle “Richie and Ruben” tells a story of failed moneymakers, a la “Strapped For Cash” from Traffic And Weather. Lead single “Someone’s Gonna Break Your Heart” rides on a timeless “whoa-oh-oh-oh” chorus.

There are a handful of slower, same-y tracks towards the second half of the album and it’s a shame there are no big, fun rockers on the record, a la “Denise” or “Little Red Light.” The pop culture touchstones of “A Road Song” also make it feel a bit like a re-write of “I-95.” Sky Full Of Holes is a worthy entry into the Fountains Of Wayne catalog, even if it doesn’t reach the sky-high heights Chris and Adam have hit in the past. Fountains Of Wayne will be back in Philadelphia at World Café Liveon August 9th.