Fountains of Wayne

If Nirvana was the voice of the youthful, emergent Generation X of the early '90s, then New York's Fountains of Wayne are the voice of the same generation a few years on, in the midst of an extended adolescence. Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood, the group's songwriting team, were in their late 20s when they released their self-titled debut, and on that record they write knowingly of characters navigating the gray area between adolescence and adulthood. The band wraps these vignettes in Beatles-influenced melodies that are endearingly sweet and catchy. Fountains of Wayne ditch the Beatles homage for Utopia Parkway, infusing the album with more of a rock sensibility. The lyrics are less insightful this time, but the sweetness remains, particularly on "Troubled Times," a gentle reminiscence of a botched love. Welcome Interstate Managers is the band's best album to date -- the lyrics are attention-grabbingly smart and the songs are so catchy it's maddening. The Beatles influence has returned, but this time it's diversified with nods to the Byrds, the Cars, and even Simon and Garfunkel. The songs still deal with the same Gen X-angsty topics as before, but now they show a bit of personal growth: "I'm gonna get my shit together" go the (albeit slightly tongue-in-cheek) lyrics to "Bright Future in Sales." It seems the band may be close to embracing adulthood after all. (NINA PEARLMAN)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide