Wry and wistful New York quartet Fountains Of Wayne revitalised Sixties' Britpop and Seventies' American power pop on their self-titled debut and Utopia Parkway.

Four years on, storytelling songwriters Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood spread their charming melodies and harmonies over all manner of pop styles, from pedal-steel country (Hung Up On You) to Sixties' psychedelia (No Better Place); cheeky Busted teenage lust (Stacy's Mom) to Oasis open-air anthems (Supercollider); Beach Boys orchestral pop (Halley's Waitress) to Buffalo Tom distorted rock (Little Red Light, All Kinds Of Time); acoustic Gram Parsons grace (Valley Winter Song) to Beta Band shuffle (Peace And Love).

Too many cooks normally spoil the broth, but not here. Fountains Of Wayne have more hooks than a fisherman, and their lyrics bring poignant character to all that hybrid diversity in their mid-thirties observations of ordinary folks dealing with pressurised jobs, the big business squeeze, exploding cell phones, traffic jams, teenage lust, love hangovers and country escape. Another Wayne wonder.

Updated: 08:50 Thursday, October 16, 2003