Tinted Windows

TINTED WINDOWS
"TINTED WINDOWS"
(S-Curve, 2009)


What do you get when you bring together Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos, guitarist James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins, Fountains of Wayne co-founder/bassist Adam Schlesinger, and former tween-pop heartthrob Taylor Hanson? You get every bit as great an album as you can imagine coming from such a talented lineup. Meet the power-pop supergroup calling themselves Tinted Windows. Although the guys' ages span three generations (the youngest 26, the eldest 57, and the other two smack dab in between), and their individual backgrounds are spread over a broad array of musical styles and influences, they sound surprisingly solid and cohesive, especially considering this is their first recording together. To give you an idea of how well they meld: two of the tracks that sound the most like early-to-mid-era Hanson, "Kind of a Girl" and the delightfully catchy "Cha Cha", weren't written by Taylor, and the track that is perhaps more than any other on the disc reminiscent of Fountains of Wayne, "Nothing To Me", is actually one of the three on the disc that wasn't written or even co-written by Adam Schlesinger.

Since he serves as the lead vocalist throughout, fans of Taylor Hanson's always-appealing voice will probably enjoy this album, even though he doesn't hit that bluesy-soulful sweet spot that he regularly has on Hanson's last few albums. But then, that's partly the point of this album. If you're looking for any of the profound messages of a Hanson lyric, or the clever wordplay or witty pop-culture shout-outs characteristic of Fountains of Wayne, you won't find that here. What you will find is a set of blissfully addictive, straightforward pop tunes with just the right amount of rock punch, perfect for listening to on a summer afternoon on the highway with the convertible top down. Anyone who's a fan of those plain-and-simple power-pop groups of the past, like the Raspberries, the Knack, the Romantics, or perhaps even the Beatles, will find plenty to love on this album. My only complaint is that it runs only 35 minutes ... but I guess if it were too much longer, it wouldn't leave us craving more.

Cant Get A Read On You - Tinted Windows