Indie/alternative rock band The Format announced they would be splitting up last year, bringing an end to one of the most talented group of guys I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. I liked the music the band played, but what I enjoyed more than anything was Nate Ruess' unique vocals and quirky lyrics. Hearing they'd be splitting ways was disappointing, but less than a year later Ruess was back on the music scene with his new band, fun. Their debut album, Aim & Ignite, was released August 25th, 2009.
Aim & Ignite follows a similar formula to The Format's Dog Problems. Lots of focus is put on Ruess' vocals and lyrics, though instrumentally it's a very happy and lively record. That said, Aim & Ignite definitely doesn't feel like a The Format album. The band strives for a very unique sound, and they've definitely found one.
Unfortunately, change is not always for the best, and I stand by the phrase, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it." As stated, the band still has very apparent The Format roots. I feel Ruess' voice has never been better than on this album, and instrumentally the tracks do feel superior here. Violins, pianos, guitars, drums; even a few synth lines are apparent here and there, and everything blends well and sound professional. The problem with Aim & Ignite is that it lacks the song structure The Format had. In some songs, choruses are repeated more times than they are needed. On a few tracks, Ruess does the whole "la-la-la" thing for a bit and it gets old. Some songs lack any substance or progression, such as "Light A Roman Candle with Me" which really starts dragging half-way through. Despite poor composition there are still some good tracks on the album, but I felt I could easily classify these songs as "good" or "bad" because of distinct mistakes I feel the band made with some of these songs.
The album begins with "Be Calm". I felt this was a great way to open the record as it was a sort of sampler to the different characteristics that make fun. great. The song starts with almost no instruments apart from a violin, focusing instead on Ruess' combination of singing and speaking until it reaches the chorus, where the song takes a total turn into a more exciting and dramatic piece. The pace picks up, more instruments chime in, and Nate puts more feeling into his lyrics and singing. There are two guest vocalists in the second verse, and while they're only in there for about fifteen seconds I find their voices really compliment Ruess' and they really help add more to the song. When the song begins nearing the end, Ruess sings "And I can't remember the man, the panhandler or his melody. The words exchanged had far exceeded any change I'd given thee." He puts more feeling into these lyrics than he does in eight of the other nine tracks on the album. It ends the song on a great note; I really like "Be Calm" and I feel it shows the good side of fun.
The next song, "Benson Hedges", is very mediocre. It's positive and lively, but there's almost nothing interesting instrumentally in the song, Ruess' gets nowhere lyrically, and he experiments with many different singing voices, from extremely whiny hi-pitched blabble to a grungy, congested-sounding plea. He sings "Oh whoa, now now" for a good 30 seconds near the end, along with repeating a few lines that were too prevalent earlier in the song.
There are a few tracks on the album that are like this. "I Wanna Be the One" has absolutely no lyric substance, and the sing-a-long style chorus seems almost childish because of it. Instrumentally, it's not a bad track, but they didn't do anything with Ruess and he makes it a poor song to listen to. "Light A Roman Candle With Me" is very similar to "I Wanna Be the One", only without the impressive instrumentals. The lyrics are absolutely terrible. Some words seem to be placed in the song for the sole purpose of making them rhyme. Here's an example, this is the first verse:
Light a Roman candle with me, just a Roman candle
You can wear your sandals and I
Pour you just one cup of tea
Then you can go and rest, you haven't seen my best
Just spend an evening with me, just a lazy evening
That you could be leaving
Or we can stay and talk until three
I will think it's magic and I hope you agree
So light a Roman candle with me
You can wear your sandals and I
Pour you just one cup of tea
Then you can go and rest, you haven't seen my best
Just spend an evening with me, just a lazy evening
That you could be leaving
Or we can stay and talk until three
I will think it's magic and I hope you agree
So light a Roman candle with me
I feel these are the only three songs that are really disappointing on the album. "Walking the Dog" and "Barlights" don't focus so much on delivering awesome lyrics or strong vocals, but they're very lively tracks and they're happy songs to listen to. "Take Your Time (Coming Home)" is a bit slower and has some questionable qualities that seem to only make the song more annoying, but it's a good end to the CD and definitely worth a few listens. The band's first single, "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)" features a great guest vocalist and witty lyrics, and I find myself singing along every time.
Then, there's "The Gambler". "The Gambler" is, by far, the number one song on the album. It's extremely sincere, touching, personal, and beautiful. It's a story of his family history from his mother's perspective, and Ruess uses the song to show the never-ending love he has for his family. A piano is present through the whole track, as is a very soft violin which both help in setting the mood. Ruess puts so much emotion into the song, it gives me goose bumps. Have a look at some of the lyrics:
It was the winter of '86, and all the fields had frozen over
So we moved to Arizona to save our only son
And now he's turned into a man, though he thinks just like his mother
He believes we're all just lovers; he sees hope in everyone
And even though she moved away
We always get calls from our daughter
She has eyes just like her father's
They are blue when skies are grey
And just like him, she never stops
Never takes the day for granted
Works for everything that's handed to her
Never once complains
So we moved to Arizona to save our only son
And now he's turned into a man, though he thinks just like his mother
He believes we're all just lovers; he sees hope in everyone
And even though she moved away
We always get calls from our daughter
She has eyes just like her father's
They are blue when skies are grey
And just like him, she never stops
Never takes the day for granted
Works for everything that's handed to her
Never once complains
This is only the debut album from fun. and I'm already impressed. There are a few tracks on my "skip" list and that's pretty disappointing, but I still feel I'm getting my money's worth and more with this album. Admittedly, the band could use a bit more "The Format"-style rock, but what they did with Aim & Ignite is pretty good. The album's energetic, it's lively, and it's fun.
The Gambler
Recommendation: Fans of indie/pop-rock, buy it. It may not be album of the year, but it's a good listen and you'll probably enjoy it. If you're not willing to drop $12.00 on the album you owe it to yourself to at least listen to "The Gambler".