fun. : Aim and Ignite

Artist: fun.
Title: Aim and Ignite
Genre: Indie Pop

Track List:

1. "Be Calm" - 4:10
2. "Benson Hedges" - 4:00
3. "All the Pretty Girls (On a Saturday Night)" - 3:23
4. "I Wanna Be the One (BaBaBa)" - 3:36
5. "At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)" - 4:07
6. "Light a Roman Candle with Me" - 3:05
7. "Walking the Dog" - 3:40
8. "Barlights" - 4:17
9. "The Gambler" - 4:11
10. "Take Your Time (Coming Home)" - 7:51

fun. (yes the lowercase "f" and period are intentional) was started in 2008 by lead singer Nate Ruess, formerly of The Format. Aim and Ignite was self-released in August 2009 after a couple demos and singles from the album were made available on iTunes. Ruess' raw vocals have a tone of desperation that works suprisingly well when paired with pop instrumentals and synthesizers in the background. The album's first track, Be Calm, has become my current song of choice. It's lyrical message of, well, being calm, is contrasted sharply by intense builds in momentum as the song progresses. The other songs are an assortment of energetic alternative pop tunes, plus a few calmer tracks like I Wanna Be The One, and Light a Roman Candle With Me. fun.'s sound is unique and may take some getting used to (try listening with the lyrics on hand) but the album is certainly worth previewing.

MySpace
Preview