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The term “power pop” originated in the 1960s (and was coined by The Who’s Pete Townshend) as a type of music that incorporated melodic hooks, vocal harmonies and a relatively “happy” sound despite a sense of despair or yearning within the lyrics. A second waves hit in the 1970s with bands like Cheap Trick, Nick Lowe and The Knack.
It wasn’t until the 1990s when a third revival struck. Bands like Jellyfish, The Posies and Matthew Sweet took over alternative and college radio. Another band that started and stayed true to the power pop sound was Fountains of Wayne.
Today’s I Own That CD is their near perfect eponymous debut, Fountains of Wayne.
Formed when Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood met as freshman at Williams College, the band went through a number of names and line-ups before settling in as a duo to record their debut. Released in 1996, the album was full of slacker-ish, suburban tales that were witty and focused on the uncool-ness of life.
With one of the best opening songs ever kicking things off, “Radiation Vibe” sets the tone with a song that builds to a “baby, baby, baby” chorus along with shimmering guitars. Schlesinger and Collingwood were the new Tilbrook and Difford (from the band Squeeze) writing and creating a Beatlesque sound, song after song. They could make you bop your head and tap you toes with songs like “Survival Car” and “Leave the Biker” that make us all feel somewhat sorry for the main character, but also, makes us feel like we can be a main part of any song. They were a working man’s power pop.
Strong albums followed, along with a “huge” hit single (“Stacey’s Mom”) but the band never achieved full-out stardom like many of the bands they grew up listening to and emulating. Clocking in at just under 37 minutes, it won’t take you long to listen (or re-listen) to it. And with the sad death of Schlesinger of Covid-19 in 2020, we’ll miss out on anything new from Fountains of Wayne. But their debut remains their best, and if you’ve got a CD player, you can borrow my copy.
I read a review of FoW once that proposed that they were the true heirs to Springsteen when it came to serving as the Bards of Jersey.