Tinted Windows (album)
| Tinted Windows | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Studio album by Tinted Windows | |
| Released | April 21, 2009 |
| Recorded | Stratosphere Sound Studios in New York City, 2009 |
| Genre | Alternative rock, power pop |
| Length | 35:47 |
| Language | English |
| Label | S-Curve |
| Producer | James Iha, Adam Schlesinger |
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 57/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| The A.V. Club | B |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| Pitchfork Media | 3.5/10 |
| PopMatters |   |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Slant Magazine | |
| Spin | |
| Toronto Star | |
| Time Out | |
Tinted Windows is the eponymous debut album of the American supergroup, Tinted Windows. Tinted Windows was formed in New York City and consists of guitarist James Iha, previously of The Smashing Pumpkins and A Perfect Circle, singer Taylor Hanson of Hanson, bassist Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, and Cheap Trick's Bun E. Carlos. The album was recorded at Stratosphere Sound Studios in New York, which Schlesinger and Iha co-own with Ivy's Andy Chase.
The band signed to S-Curve Records and the album was released on April 21, 2009. An appearance of the band on Late Show with David Letterman occurred on the eve of the release. The album debuted at number 59 on the Billboard 200.
Tinted Windows received generally mixed reviews from music crtics who found the artists' combined musicianship lacking in vision and finesse throughout the project. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 57, based on 9 reviews.
AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the band members' combined musicianship for complementing each other and being reminiscent of 60s-70s pop-rock, singling out Taylor Hanson's vocal work as being a standout, concluding that "Of all the guys here, he is the only one to never have performed in a guitar-heavy rock & roll band, and his thrill to be singing these sweet melodies over these big, fuzzy guitars can be infectious." Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly also commended the band's musicianship for being equal and having cohesion throughout the album, concluding that "It’s all hook-riddled, fast, and ephemeral, and if you don’t love it, your tie’s too wide." Noel Murray of The A.V. Club said that despite Hanson's voice lacking grit and the material being transparent, he praised the rest of the band for crafting strong production and hook-filled lyrics, concluding that "Whatever the intended (or actual) audience, songs as catchy and spirited as “Messing With My Head” and “Without Love” are timelessly fun." Mikael Wood, writing for Spin, said that "these bouncy, hook-crammed power-pop jams are safe and catchy enough for Jo Bros fans and Stacy’s mom alike."
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