Fountains of Wayne. That's right. Commonly of 'Stacey's Mom' fame. Chances are good that's your first and maybe only impression if you even recognize their name. Now I'm not here to throw shade because that song is great. Instead I'd like to point at the rest of their discography. I personally think they are one of the best bands to ever grace my ears. But then, I've heard people say that they are artists for artists. The songwriting (primarily narrative style songs) is almost always fun and of great quality. Pair that with music that is peak power pop, but always remarkably more complex than it seems. I could truly wax on and on about Fountains of Wayne and why I think they are spectacular. For now I will be content to look at an album that reflects its title.

Utopia Parkway is a real street in New York. So says a quick search. In some way it doesn't matter that it is real though. To me it conjures images of some sort of idyllic American housing area. Rows of houses with teenagers playing in garage bands, old dudes washing their cars, and people just living some variety of utopian dream. Maybe best shown in songs like the title track 'Utopia Parkway' where the main character is some archetype of the rocker of this era. Saving for a custom van, playing covers, and refusing to grow up. This theme also echoed in things like 'The Valley of Malls' or 'Go, Hippie.' There is more going on here though. There is also one of my top songs of all time 'Troubled Times' on this album. A lovely piece about love and breakup whose lyrics perfectly capture the feeling of hoping you could reconcile, but something about the song tells you that it won't happen. It's all filled with alt rock guitars, steady drums, and the unmistakeable vocals of Chris Collingwood.

There is this gentle balance of comedy and serious in the mix of songs. Something that I think sums up much of Fountains of Wayne as a whole. Something that strikes me is that so much of their songwriting is in good fun. The characters are funny and silly, but not unrelateable. This is really sold by how incredibly skilled Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood were in crafting these catchy yet not disposably pieces. The staying power of something like 'Stacey's Mom' is not just it's funny premise or catchy lyrics, but the quality with which they are done. I think this whole album is stellar all the way through.

I implore you to mainline the Fountains of Wayne Discography. Not all their songs might be your speed, but they are all certainly great songs.