8/10

While Fountains Of Wayne are strictly known for their student anthem 'Stacy's Mom' in the UK, in North America the band have enjoy moderate acclaim for the last twenty years. But now it seems that frontman Chris Collingwood is looking to spread his creative wings a little further as he unveils his new solo project Look Park and its self-titled debut album.

Those that are familiar with the Fountains Of Wayne sound, beyond their biggest hit, will know that they have this particular talent for creating songs that get stuck in your head. This is exactly the same feeling you get when you tune in to 'Look Park'. The laid-back California-esque sound of this new project has some of the most engaging songwriting we have heard this year, akin to the heydays of bands like Weezer and Counting Crows. Its simple to digest direction makes it incredibly easy to enjoy and find yourself lost in Collingwood's relaxed vocal style.

While it still holds a lot of that modern Americana sound that has remained alien to the UK's commercial scene, it certainly makes a good pitch for the genre. Loveable from start to finish, Look Park is the vision of a man who has spent most of his life putting a smile on people's faces.