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And turn heads it has, particularly since Hanson is the only member of the band to have gotten his start as a child star. "The initial idea was just that it would be cool to have a loud rock band with Taylor singing," Schlesinger says. "I think it was clear from the time I met him that he was a phenomenal musician. All of the Hansons are phenomenal musicians, but Taylor's voice is one of those rare things that you don't come across very much in life. He can sing anything with total conviction, and he has this amazing range."

Hanson scaled back his vocal licks for Tinted Windows's streamlined sound and says he made a mix CD of classic power-pop bands to inspire the recording process for Iha, Schlesinger and Carlos, who fit in sessions between commitments to their respective musical day jobs. The result of this immersion into the likes of the Babys, the Knack and the Raspberries? On Tinted Windows's self-titled debut, out April 21, the sugar smack of Hanson's "MMMBop" and Schlesinger's rousing choruses make for memorable melodies.

It might take fans of Fountains of Wayne's song "Stacy's Mom" a minute to catch on to Tinted Windows's utter lack of ironic lyrics, but those who also know Schlesinger as the Oscar-nominated songwriter behind the 1996 Tom Hanks film "That Thing You Do!" and as one third of the indie-pop band Ivy will recognize his melodic touch immediately.

And rockers rejoice: as poplike as some of Tinted Windows's tunes are, Carlos and Iha always cut the recipe with a bit of brine. "Can't Get a Read on You" opens with a big-guns riff, then chases it with a speedy "ooh-ooh" refrain that begs for repeat listening; "Doncha Wanna" brings some of the Smashing Pumpkins's famous drone to the table; and "Messing With My Head" is a straight-up rocker à la Cheap Trick's "Dream Police." It's in the same milieu as Rick Springfield's 1981 album, "Working Class Dog"—pretty-boy grit with relentless hooks—only this time, the guitar power is for real.

Even so, following closely on the heels of Hanson's latest studio album—2007's critically praised "The Walk," a sweeping production that came with its own accompanying documentary and walk-a-thon to raise money for AIDS and clean water in Africa—the Tinted Windows project must be a total alter-ego experience for this normally serious frontman. Doesn't the switch from playing piano and writing lyrics about "conquering the great divide" to playing tambourine and singing about the "kind of a girl you wanna feel the touch of" feel like a bit of a lark? Hanson, a married father of four, admits that the liberation of his new rock-star pose is undeniable. "I will tell you, it's definitely a lot of fun, and it's totally a great outlet," Hanson laughs. "Standing out on front of the stage and just singing is like a whole different set of skills as a performer. I love writing songs that carry some strong meaning, but there's always a place for songs about the effervescent quality of boy meets girl. When you do it with a pounding drumbeat and a lot of melody, it's quite fun." Now that he's all grown-up, Taylor Hanson finally gets to sing about girls. There's one irony about Tinted Windows, after all.

© 2009