At first glance, Tinted Windows' line-up seems like an April Fool's joke. James Iha (ex-Smashing Pumpkins, ex-A Perfect Circle) is on guitar, Adam Schlesinger (Fountains Of Wayne) is on bass, Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) is on drums, and Taylor Hanson (Hanson) is on lead vocals. This odd family of musicians works however and has delivered a debut album of power-pop perfection.
"Kind Of A Girl," the first track and one of two singles taken from the album, features a driving rollercoaster guitar riff with plenty of bright fuzz. Hanson's pretty-boy vocals work amazingly well in a guitar-rock setting. Iha finally gets to let out his lead guitar chops with a short solo.
"Messing With My Head," the second single, is somewhat of a slow burner but with a powerful riff and a hook-filled anthemic chorus. Lyrically, this song sets the tone of the album, a classic rock narrative of lover's angst.
"Can't Get A Read On You" could easily be a Stooges song with more sheen, apart from Hanson's vocal style. It has punk-like breakneck guitar riffing and pummeling drums.
The album's most overt ballad, "Back With You," has Iha harkening back to the atmospheric texture he perfected with The Smashing Pumpkins and his solo album Let It Come Down. While Hanson's vocals do prove to work with full-on rock songs, they fit even better with this style.
"Without Love" has one of the most intricate but head-bopping riffs on the album. Lead guitar is the focus and Iha lets rip with longer solos.
"Cha Cha" takes a chance at a Rolling Stones-style blues boogie and succeeds. Interestingly enough, the chorus has more in common with The Beatles or even fictitious band The Wonders from the movie "That Thing You Do."
The jangly, chord-rock spirit of The Byrds and mid-era Beatles is channeled on "Nothing To Me." The main riff is a tribute to George Harrison if ever there was.
Tinted Windows sounds nothing like the assembled musicians' previous work except for maybe the overall concept of Cheap Trick. But the band does manage to forge it's own identity under the power-pop tent. The best supergroups are a sum of their parts and Tinted Windows is no different. Smashing Pumpkins fans may have a hard time accepting Iha working with the singer of "Mmmbop" but upon listening, this album and this band exude nothing but pure fun.
