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Traffic And Weather - Fountains of Wayne
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Metascore
68 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 29 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Summary: Band member Adam Schlesinger produced FOW's long-awaited fourth studio album, which follows four years after their breakthrough hit 'Welcome Interstate Managers.'

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 28
  3. Negative: 4 out of 28
  1. The A.V. Club
    100
    Traffic And Weather offers vivid little snapshots of characters and places, but in Schlesinger and Collingswood's hands, a snapshot can tell the whole story.
  2. Under The Radar
    60
    After such a lengthy break between records, the disappointing ratio of great-to-crummy songs is a mild surprise. Traffic and Weather could've been so much better. [#17, p.84]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. New Musical Express (NME)
    30
    Their songs are either shitty soft-rock or worse, wink-nudge pastiches like the new-wavey 'Someone To Love'.

See all 28 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 19
  3. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. MattD.
    10
    Has times of Beatles-like excellence! But they are no Beatles clone: the 80s influences again help to spice up the music, and the ending alt-country song is good enough to not be an afterthought. The lyrics completely nail Generation X culture!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. othos
    5
    There may be no bigger FOW fan than I, but I must say that TRAFFIC AND WEATHER disappoints. Definitely, the weakest of their four efforts (not counting the B-sides compilation OUT OF STATE PLATES), TAW is lyrically insipid at points (the title cut is just stupid), and Schlesinger's production is too busy and synthesizer-happy. With the exception of "Strapped for Cash," "Yolanda Hayes" and '92 Subaru," the compositions are subpar as well, and Collingswood's insistence on putting in the obligatory faux country song is getting a bit tiresome. All in all, I expected more from a four-year hiatus. Note to FOW: There is a reason why most bands get someone else to produce them. It's called objectivity.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. ToddW
    1
    After their first album the future looked promising for these guys. Unfortunately, they then decided to go the Coldplay and Killers route and try to make music for the masses, without realizing the sheep they were amusing wouldn't know the difference between a good song or a talented and visionary band and a bag of wool/shit. If you doubt, take a look at the total and complete garbage that passes for entertainment these days. American Idol? Please; it should be called American Idle. The scary thing is these guys would be superstars on that show.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 19 User Reviews

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