August 25, 2009

fun. - Aim And Ignite (2009)

If you ever tuned out by turning on the radio, Fun should sound familiar. Lead singer, Nate Ruess, used to front the now disbanded Format . Like that band, Fun's best songs are summer pop sing alongs. Even the heartbroken "All The Pretty Girls" features a rousing and upbeat chorus. Whether Fun is singing schoolyard call and response on "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" or rocking out on the epic "Take Your Time (Coming Home)", the songs generally seem to be describing an autobiographical and emotional rebirth. However, like Ben Folds, the often narrative lyrics are just clever enough to avoid being too earnest. "Be Calm", with it's theatrical ups and downs, could soundtrack a Broadway musical that would make Mika jealous. Although each song is packed full of hooks and ideas, the album somehow avoids collapsing into a sugary mess and ends up nothing less than poptastic.

4 Comments:

Nightrain said...

Sweet album art.

awmercy said...

I'm bummed they didn't have a good video for "All The Pretty Girls" or "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)". Both are worth checking out.

But you can check them out on myspace or their homepage.

awmercy said...

Oh, and they are playing at the Hawthorne Theater on Wednesday! Should be a great show.

awmercy said...

You can download an mp3 of "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)" at this promo website.