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CD Review of Aim and Ignite by fun.

Reviewed by Jeff Giles

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alk about your descriptive band names. Sparked from the ashes of the Arizona indie pop collective the Format, fun. unites the talents of that band’s lead singer, Nate Ruess, former Anathello utility infielder Andrew Dost, and Steel Train guitarist Jack Antonoff, and the result is a sound that’s part Queen, part Beach Boys, and all – wait for it – fun. The occasionally bittersweet lyric aside, Aim and Ignite doesn’t carry the slightest whiff of the disappointment that rose from the Format’s dissolution; in fact, it’s one of the most deliciously joyous pop smorgasbords to come down the pike in recent memory. One glorious jumble of hooks after another, the album is a triumph of classic songwriting, brilliant arrangements (ably assisted, fittingly, by former Jellyfish member Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.), and bright, primary-colored production from former Redd Kross bassist Steven McDonald.

An impressive pedigree, no? Wake up, pop fans – your long nightmare is over. Like an army of Mikas, like the Scissor Sisters on steroids, like the second coming of Jellyfish, fun. fulfills the promises made by the baroque pop acts of ‘70s rock – hello, Queen; hello, ELO – and weds their finger-snapping aesthetic to the impeachable songwriting of artists like Harry Nilsson. It’s an intoxicating blend, and the fact that it’s coming out on an indie label like Nettwerk instead of a major – and being promoted to the high heavens in the bargain – speaks loudly to the sorry state of the music industry. There is an audience for this music, but the mechanism for delivering it is so broken down that fun. is probably destined to be a fervently shared secret among the same pop fiends who made cult heroes (and cash-poor indie artists) out of pretty much everyone else who’s tried to do this before.

And the real bitter shame of this is that every song on Aim and Ignite is a winner. Even Nilsson never managed to put together a record without filler, but fun. has done it here, assembling a sparkling, cacophonous string of pop jewels, filled to the brim with tightly layered vocals, chorused guitars, warm brass, and everything from steel drums to a Theremin. It’s the kind of album that grabs you on the first listen and then gets even better – you catch stray instrumental licks for the first time, or a clever lyric bubbles up in the mix, and the songs go from simply (wait for it) fun to downright addictive, and even meaningful.

Simply put, Aim and Ignite is one for the ages – a solid stack of smart, solidly constructed pop songs whose lyrics will move your heart as often as their grooves will leave you dancing. If you’ve ever loved any of the bands here – or if you value things like melody, layered arrangements, or good old-fashioned fun in music – get yourself a copy of this album without delay. You won’t be sorry.

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