If a little bird hasn't told you anything about a band named fun., you need to drop everything you're doing and take a good listen to what they have to offer - playful, old school... well, fun.
fun. is an indie music band comprising of Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff and Andrew Dost. You may have heard of Nate from the band The Format, an indie rock band from Arizona. In the midst of their successful music career, relationships began to deteriorate, which led to their inevitable disbanding in February of 2008. Ruess then teamed up with ex-Anathallo member Antonoff and Steel Train's Dost to produce their début album, Aim and Ignite.
Aim and Ignite can be considered an autobiographical album; with Ruess penning down powerful and reflective lyrics about the break-up of The Format, coming to terms with it whilst still singing about love.
1. Be Calm
The beauty of their first single is that there is nothing calming about this song. Its slow instrumental beginnings is turned into dust when inner turmoil and paranoia sets in, reflected by its rapid tempo and whimsical show tunes. The song almost feels like a roller coaster ride, with it taking you on a wave of highs and lows. There's also something very poetic about the line, "You hate your pulse because it still thinks you're alive".
2. All The Pretty Girls
First of all, I love the music video for this single. Whilst the first half of the music video is a bone chilling reminder of a Jonas Brothers stunt, the video's ending gives a refreshing take on "fangirls". The song has some comedic moments with Nate and the backup vocals' tête-à-tête, and its pop tunes are so easy on the ears you just can't help with clap along.
3. At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)
The line "I want no Saviour baby, I just wanna have a good time." is the essence of the track. However light-hearted this track may appear to be, it is deeply emotional and perhaps to Nate Ruess, hits the closest to home. Nate gives us a glimpse into his old life in The Format, leaving and not looking back.
4. The Gambler
Valentine's Day is just round the corner, and this sweet ballad's the perfect song for the occasion. Taking a break from the chaos, its score comprising of mere string instruments, piano and the occasional trumpet reminds me a lot "Hey There Deliah" by Plain White T's.
I'm fairly certain one will not be able to find fun.'s album in Singapore, but if you have friends going to the States any time soon, go down on your knees and play the friendship card - that's what I did.
Daytrotter Sessions - Acoustic versions of All The Pretty Girls, Benson Hedges and The Gambler are available for download for free on their myspace page.
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