F un. is the name of the band, and their latest album Some Nights is just that.
After the breakup of his band The Format, lead singer Nate Ruess went on to create Fun. in 2008. Tuesday, Feb. 21 marked the release of their second LP, which was unfortunately leaked in advance. Despite this, the album has done considerably well, with its anthemic single “We Are Young” featured on Glee and hitting number one on the iTunes song charts.
Ruess leads the band on vocals with ex-member of Steel Train, Jack Antonoff on guitar and trumpet. The trio is rounded out with musical renaissance man and Anathallo veteran, Andrew Dost on vocals, piano, guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesizers, trumpet, drums, percussion and even the flugelhorn and glockenspiel.
Fun.’s strongest trait is its ability to lyrically explore sad or dark topics and pair them with upbeat and even joyful music. It’s an odd combination––the mix of instruments, voice alterations, lyrics, melodies and background noises in this album are entirely unpredictable and unexpected––but it all feels right.
Perhaps the best, certainly most well-known songs on the album are title track, “Some Nights” and hit single, “We Are Young.” These feature a sort of pride in youthful stupidity and craziness with which most college students will connect. Flip on these songs when you just feel like dancing.
The undervalued gem of the album would have to be “Out on the Town,” a bonus track. The lyrics are great, if a little dark, and the words are fun to sing along with. It’s also super catchy, so be prepared to have it stuck in your head.
The band does a good job of giving their album some variation by throwing in more than just the anthemic rock songs they do best. Songs like “Carry on” and “Why Am I The One” offer a soft and balladic approach that give the emotions of Some Nights a little rounding out.
Not all the songs are perfect. Some are pretty cut-and-paste and a little repetitive, like “All Alright” or “It Gets Better.” Other numbers give the impression that the band may have had a little too much fun (pun intended) with the recording equipment. “Stars,” for example, starts out as a sweet, playful piece, but ends as a weird super-synthesized mess. This is not the norm, however. The rockers generally manage to tastefully play around with auto-tuned sounds without descending into Owl City territory. Even the worst songs on this album will have you tapping your toes and smiling through your sadness.
