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Traffic And Weather
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Traffic And Weather Image
Metascore
68

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

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 32 Ratings

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

Top Track

Someone To Love
Seth Shapiro got his law degree He moved to Brooklyn from Schenectady, '93 Got some clients in the food industry He says it's not the money, it's the... See the rest of the song lyrics
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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. Uncut
    80
    Cements FOW's status as the savviest modern-day practitioners of both Beatlesque pop and Steely Dan's cool precision. [Jun 2007, p.94]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Billboard
    80
    They still pen power-pop tunes so utterly irresistible—"Someone to Love," "This Better Be Good," "Strapped for Cash"—that they deserve to be every bit as ubiquitous at radio as the elements of the album's title. Oh, and they're still brilliant. [2 Apr 2007]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. Dot Music
    70
    There's little not to love.
  5. Hartford Courant
    60
    The everyday-ness of the songs makes them easily relatable, but, like a commute where traffic and weather happen on the 10s, the album starts to feel routine by the end.
  6. Alternative Press
    60
    It's something they've done better before. [May 2007, p.158]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. Stylus Magazine
    16
    Despite being four years in the making, Traffic and Weather finds Fountains Of Wayne offering more of the same and yet decidedly less, working your nerves to the point where you’ll wonder whether you ever truly liked them in the first place.

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.
    Apr 11, 2007
    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 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
  2. ColbyC
    Apr 4, 2007
    9
    Just as good as Welcome INterstate Managers. Fantastic Album, but Metacritic showed only the worst reviews, ingnoring the A given by the AV Just as good as Welcome INterstate Managers. Fantastic Album, but Metacritic showed only the worst reviews, ingnoring the A given by the AV Club and many other sources.… Expand
  4. ChristopherG
    Apr 6, 2007
    9
    You knew that matching W.I.M. was gonna be tough, and while this doesn't, its still excellent. If a magazine doesn't appreciate You knew that matching W.I.M. was gonna be tough, and while this doesn't, its still excellent. If a magazine doesn't appreciate this genre of music, is it really worth their or anyone's time to rip it? No time to be sour, gotta go bop to these great pop tunes. Thanks, lads.… Expand
  5. ToddT.
    May 25, 2007
    9
    You can let the entire album play and nothing you hear will disappoint you.
  6. ParcoM.
    Aug 25, 2007
    9
    Not the best FOW album ever, but very solid, very enjoyable, and sticks with you, the way true FOW music should.
  7. Jason
    Apr 8, 2007
    8
    Stylus: *dialing Pitchfork: Hello...? Stylus: What score are you going to give the new Fountains of Wayne album? Pitchfork: Well the album Stylus: *dialing Pitchfork: Hello...? Stylus: What score are you going to give the new Fountains of Wayne album? Pitchfork: Well the album did not have Thom Yorke singing, and Greenwood was nowhere to be found as well. So, we will give a slightly inferior album to there last a 3/10. Stylus: Yeah, I noticed the same defects in the album. This shit definetely sucks!… Expand
  8. HeathC
    Mar 29, 2007
    0
    SHIT

See all 19 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

100
#100 Most Shared Album of 2007