Tinted Windows Bring Back Fun Pop Musicby: Allyson Yates
(staff writer)
Tinted Windows is the new super-group in town. Created by Taylor Hanson (lead vocals, Hanson), James Iha (guitar, Smashing Pumpkins/A Perfect Circle), Bun E. Carlos (drums, Cheap Trick) and Adam Schlesinger (bass, Fountains of Wayne), they have brought back that nostalgic 70’s rock/power-pop sound to the masses on their debut album. With simple, predictable melodies and lyrics written by Schlesinger, Iha and Hanson, this record just breezes by; some of these tracks can get lost in the shuffle, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not enjoyable.
The record kicks off with the first single, “Kind of a Girl.” This is a nice way to showcase to the world what they’re about, but after repeated listening, the “whoa oh whoas” do get a bit under your skin for sure. The whole album isn’t filled with those “whoa oh whoas” at every turn, however, so it shouldn’t be discouraging. “Messing With My Head” follows with yet another catchy chorus reminiscent of Cheap Trick that will get you playing air guitar and bopping your head to the beat in no time. “Can’t Get A Read On You” is one of those songs that after hearing the chorus once, you can sing along right from there because the words are so easy. “Nothing To Me” starts like a Paul McCartney and Wings track – simple guitar riff and drums that build it right up to the vocals – and could slip right into a pre-Steve Perry Journey record with its little bit of blues influence. “We Got Something” strangely sounds like an early Green Day track at first, but then it finds its place.
Throughout the record, you can hear how much Taylor Hanson’s voice has grown from those teenybopper years with his brothers. Usually it shows when a singer is singing something outside of his niche and it just doesn’t work. At some points throughout the record, you don’t even recognize him. His voice has definitely come a long way, and it’s evident on tracks like “Dead Serious” and “Cha Cha.” Listeners that weren’t big fans of Hanson back in the late 90’s may just come away from listening to this album having a quite different opinion.
With so many genres of rock coming together in this one super-group, fans can get a bit confused as to how they all came together to make music in the first place. Also by either recording music outside of the comfort zone of their former bands or as to how they would even bother to record such pop music with such a culture that is dominated by urban/hip-hop music. It is always nice to have something different out there musically – an alternative, if you will – to break up the monotony on today’s radio and MTV. Tinted Windows definitely succeeds in doing this, and they do it with a retro sound that is friendly to any ear and will be a nice surprise to those that give this record a spin.
© Allyson Yates, 2009
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