Pop Band Fountains of Wayne Add More Charming Characters to Its Impressive Discography

The best modern pop band has done it again. The new album by Fountains of Wayne, called Sky Full of Holes, is delightfully filled with clever lyrics about eccentric characters from our everyday lives.

Richie and Ruben are friendly characters who manage to blow their friends' money on short-lived business ventures, as their story is told against a backdrop of the bouncy strum of an acoustic guitar. The Action Hero in a soft ballad is the stressed-out father of teenagers who disbelieves his doctor's health warnings, imagining instead that he is in perfect shape while saving the world for all mankind.

The catchy album opener The Summer Place features a woman who is afraid to visit her kitchen, hates her brother's architect girlfriend, and ends up in the hospital after eating some mushrooms. The insecure musician character who writes A Road Song bemoans Will Farrell films and Steve Perry comparisons, while admiring a kid who threw a bottle on stage the night before.

The cast of characters on this new album adds to FOW's already impressive collection of everyday eccentrics from their previous albums. Here are ten of my favorites among them.

• "The Man in the Santa Suit" from Out of State Plates: The kids tell their parents he smells like beer, and the teenagers call him Jerry Garcia in a ferry suit. Somehow, though, you feel sorry for the "big red cherry" when he calls the hair salon to ask his wife if he can give up the Santa gig.
• "Karpet King" from Out of State Plates: His "dark sunglasses and wandering eye" scare the hell out of girls when he starts laying the rug, trying to make enough dough for his kids and a drink or two.
• "Yolanda Hayes" from Traffic and Weather: The DMV employee seems to take masochistic pleasure in making her customers wait, asking for six forms of ID as the line extends beyond the door.
• "Halley's Waitress" from Welcome Interstate Managers: In no hurry to serve her customers, Halley's employee spends more time on the phone than fetching menus or refills for those from whom she expects a tip.
• "Go, Hippie" from Utopia Parkway: The homeless weed addict gets harassed by the police and Mr. Brown, who cannot feel his pain. Neither can he, according to the tune's narrator.
• "Joe Rey" from Fountains of Wayne: Since immigrating from Spain Joe Rey is in demand, as he "is stoned all day with two hairdressers in a Chevrolet."
• "Comedienne" from Out of State Plates: Her standup routine has met with disappointment, especially after getting caught in the curtain before she even began. She seems to ask herself the question in the tender chorus, "Are you laughing or crying, Are you killing or dying tonight?"
• "Revolving Dora" from Traffic and Weather: The girl in this pleasant pop tune lives in her own world with imaginary friends. Even though she has no grip on reality, the speaker admits "she sure does have a hold on me."
• "Leave the Biker" from Fountains of Wayne: The guy has "crumbs in his beard from the seafood special," but he also has "his arm around every man's dream" in this power pop.
• "Stacy's Mom" from Welcome Interstate Managers: The older lady in the band's biggest hit sure "has got it going on," attracting her young admirer with bikinis and business attire while he mows her lawn.