Just a few days ago I went on and on about Silversun Pickups being the second coming of Smashing Pumpkins. How weird to come to the end of Thursday and find original Pumpkins bassist James Iha on my desk, along with Taylor Hanson (Hanson), Adam Schlesinger (Fountains Of Wayne) and Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick). Together they are supergroup Tinted Windows (we warned you!) and, surprisingly enough, they kinda sound like a bubblegummy... you guessed it, Smashing Pumpkins. Or wait... is it Siamese Hanson?
Either way, it's about to get in your head with a vengeance. The ooh-ahhs in the chorus are sonic barbs -- like the ones they put on the ends of fishing hooks -- and they're about to tear your brain to shreds in the sweetest and gentlest way. This may seem like a lazy cop-out, but the honest truth is that this band combines Smashing Pumpkins' edge with Hanson's pop sensibility, Fountains Of Wayne's quirky light-heartedness and Cheap Trick's ballsy muscle. It's first grade math. And it sounds amazing. Brace yourself for pop-rock perfection.