Sometimes things that stay the same are wonderful.
Welcome Interstate Managers is Fountains of Wayne's brand spankin' new third album, and all the stuff that made the last two records awesome is still here in all of its glory. These guys have a knack for crafting a very particular type of nostalgia - they manage to capture exactly what growing up in suburban New Jersey feels like: they can't stop talking about New York City and the constant pressure to get out of Jersey while it's still a possibility.
Their discography is a timeline of sorts. If their first two albums loosely chronicle growing up and high school/college, Welcome Interstate Managers tackles yuppiedom. Dead end jobs, dead end relationships, dead end memories and backwater diners.
None of their attractive characteristics have changed. Their lyrics are still cute, their melodies (and they actually write real, honest to goodness melodies; a rare thing nowadays) are catchy. To me anyway, these guys feel like home.
The only thing that seems to have changed is their production; it was never transparent, instead being a well-incorporated aspect of their sound. It's a tiny bit slicker on this album, a barely noticeable shift in texture. It really doesn't make much difference, but it's there.
Track listing:
- Mexican Wine
- Bright Future in Sales
- Stacy's Mom
- Hackensack
- No Better Place
- Valley Winter Song
- All Kinds of Time
- Little Red Light
- Hey Julie
- Halley's Waitress
- Hung Up On You
- Fire Island
- Peace and Love
- Bought for a Song
- Supercollider
- Yours and Mine