Album review: Fun. 'Aim and Ignite'

I don’t think I have ever been left as confused by an album as I have by fun.’s debut, Aim and Ignite. Their name screams the fact that the music is hardly going to be dark and dreary, yet I still didn’t anticipate half the sounds to flood my ears that subsequently did over the following forty minutes.

'At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)' kicks off the record, and it certainly makes you sit up and take notice. Let’s start with the fact that scattered throughout the track are the clanging sounds of steel drums. Yes, steel drums. How many bands currently signed to an indie label do you know that readily feature this Caribbean gem of an instrument? Exactly. Next we move onto the fact that Nate Reuss’ lead vocals are more than just slightly resonant to those of sickly-sweet pop connoisseur Mika. But wait! Don’t let that put you off, I can’t stand the man either but I made it through the whole of Aim and Ignite without wanting to rip my ears off, which is clearly a good sign about (and for) fun.. Reuss is clearly having a great time singing and his enthusiasm is infectious because however guilty you may feel about advocating such obvious power-pop, you ultimately find yourself humming along.

Swiftly changing time signatures play a prominent role, as the band flit between fast to slow tempos without a second thought. 'Be Calm' features even more unexpected inclusions as we’re treated to accordions and a trusty penny whistle to name but a few, and 'I Wanna Be The One' regales us with some lively trumpet fanfares. 'Benson Hedges' meanwhile showcases four different genres in its four-minute duration, with varying amounts of vaudeville, pop, choral and soft rock all featured. Beat that, Mika.

fun.’s sound will stay with you but not necessarily for the reasons they were aiming for, as the sheer randomness of the entire record is the predominant lasting impression. The whole record has a very playful feel and the blatant rhyming lyrics work against them, but they manage to redeem themselves with the intrinsic layering of percussion that is more advanced than first impressions might suggest. Fun. may simply be happy to echo their boisterous name and cultivate an entertaining persona. However, if they desire to be recognised as enduring musicians, they’re going to have to take themselves more seriously before anyone else can.

This review was originally posted on www.culturedeluxe.com