I doubt I've ever been as put off by a band name as I was by Fountains of Wayne. In fact, I was extremely hesitant to put it in the disc player when I got the advance in the mail. But when I did, I was unexpectedly hit with an undiluted, overpowering mess of 100% pure power pop. I have to be honest: it felt like a hand job.

All of these songs are great, though some are noticably weaker than others. For instance, if "Joe Rey" had been the first track instead of the third, I may not have listened much further. "Joe Rey / Stoned all day / With two hairdressers / And a Chevrolet... He's cool / Cool cool cooler than I am." And while the music is unarguably catchy, Joe needs to spend some time taking lessons in Lyricville.

Despite the awful band name, these guys kick ass. The down side, of course, is that the first single, "Radiation Vibe," is getting a real buttload of airplay on commercial alternative radio, so you'll be sick of it in a couple of weeks. Oh, well. It was good while it lasted.

-Ryan Schreiber