Obliterate any intention to hear structured tempo or traditional instrumentation because you are about to rummage through a majestic mess that fun. have cleverly entitled Aim and Ignite.
“Be Calm”, the opening track off fun.’s debut album, unfolds all layers of ingenuity and keeps us in any and all but a placid state of mind. Nate Ruess, former member and co-founder of The Format, continues to display distinct vocal styling while taking his newly-formed band in a bit of a skewed direction. This track offers a variety of tempos that keeps listeners engaged and let’s just say it quickly became apart of my music library.
Another tune that undoubtedly burrowed a home inside my ears was “All the Pretty Girls”, which saddened me to know that I grew up in a world without polyester suits and Farrah Fawcett shampoo. By the end, I was undertaking in the unnoticeable head-bopping and found myself using my legs as a supplementary drum kit to the rhythm of “what’s a boy to do/when all the pretty girls can’t measure to you”.
The album remains upbeat with the catchy track “Walking the Dog”. The intro hooked me in and within seconds I knew I was going to have a strong hankering for it. I eagerly wanted to sing along and before I knew it “Barlights” began and my mind could not restrain the head swaying that would soon emerge. It boasts a multitude of passion for life and feeling enthusiastic toward living in the moment; an anthemic tune that will be stuck on repeat for hours on end. While enjoying fun. listeners are, once again, haunted by the 70’s era with “The Gambler”, a track that should have Elton John on standby. It was heartwarming in its entirety and contributes a multitude of balance to the record; taking the much-deserved pause from it’s other vivacious tracks.
Aim and Ignite finishes with “Take Your Time (Coming Home)”, a lengthy eight minute torpid tune that revamps into a joyous melody. It ended the album nicely and allows listeners to feel newly-gained adoration for fun. that they truly deserve. To say that the instrumentation was impeccable is an understatement. To say that the range of vocals were plain would be an unabridged lie that listeners should not tolerate to hear. Nate Ruess and his band mates, Andrew Dost (of Anathallo) and Jack Antonoff (of Steel Train), have concocted a platter of delectable songs that satisfy our hunger for talent and originality.
Track listing:
1. Be Calm
2. Benson Hedges
3. All the Pretty Girls
4. I Wanna Be the One
5. At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)
6. Light a Roman Candle With Me
7. Walking the Dog
8. Barlights
9. The Gambler
10. Take Your Time (Coming Home)
