Forget about Stacie's Mom

In 2003, Fountains of Wayne hit it big with the ultracatchy MILF anthem, "Stacie's Mom," transforming them from indie pop darlings into one-hit wonders. Now four years later, FOW put out their follow-up to Welcome Interstate Managers and their fourth album in their 11-year career, Traffic and Weather. The worldwide exposure the band has experienced has had no affect on their sound, sticking to their throwback power pop routine. While Traffic may not provide another mega hit, it is a likeable album from a band that has worked for more than a decade perfecting their pop. \nTraffic and Weather opens up with the undeniable disco of "Someone to Love," then slides nicely into the road-friendly "92 Subaru" and "Yolanda Hayes," which includes great horn and guitar interplay in its intermission. Distinguished moments like this keep the album from becoming mundane and repetitive. Another instance of a nice change is in the form of "Fire in the Canyon," a churning country tune that is Traffic's fifth track and highest peak. There is not a drop off after this point either. Strong tracks throughout the rest of Traffic keep the ball rolling, like the sly "Strapped For Cash" and the hopeful "Michael and Heather at the Baggage Claim." In addition, the album closer, "Seatbacks and Tray Tables," which is reminiscent of Billy Joel, serves as a nice finish to the album.\nLyrically, Traffic and Weather covers all kind of strange and often humorous love stories. Adam Schlesinger writes mostly about breakups, covering everything from anchormen to potheads. He even throws in some very strange references. In "I-95," he references Barney DVDs and Guns N' Roses album covers seamlessly in the same sentence. While these oddball stories and references may not carry much weight, they do fit well into their brand of indie pop, as Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood do a great job making these odd tales into bright melodies.\nWhile Traffic is not a far cry from previous FOW albums, it is a decent effort for the pop veterans. One shortcoming is that the album lacks longevity, losing its luster after a few lessons. While there are better pop albums this year, like Of Montreal's Hissing Fauna, Are You A Destroyer?, there is no denying Fountains of Wayne have an eye for making good pop music and did so in Traffic and Weather.