Many times when an extremely popular single hits the airwaves, the song drowns out the album itself.
Fun.’s newest endeavor, “Some Nights,” is in danger of becoming subject to this phenomenon. The band’s chart-topping song “We Are Young” is found on radio stations across the country.
Even so, there is much more to their second album than the hit single. While the body of work is not perfect—or even as good as their first album “Aim and Ignite”—the entirety of the disc is truly a “fun” listen.
“Some Nights” seems to have a bit of a dualistic personality, as some tracks have an ’80s feel, while others are an interesting melding of hip-hop and indie. Even with these differing styles, the songs are catchy and melodic.
The true driving force of the album is the unique vocals of Nate Ruess. The former front man of The Format has thankfully resurrected himself with his new band. His voice is powerful, charming and prominent in most of the songs on the album.
It is only fitting that the album opens with a bombastic title track, complete with an intro, which showcases Ruess’ voice.
“Some Nights” sounds almost like a Queen hit, complete with some powerful guitar chords and harmonized vocals. The band’s energy radiates freely from the song and makes for a wonderful listen.
The aforementioned “We Are Young” brilliantly follows up “Some Nights,” making for a great one-two punch. It is easily the anthem of the year—being catchy, loud and rebellious. Again, the band’s enthusiasm and energy carries throughout the song.
The next track, “Carry On,” is a tad mellower, but builds well. Here again, the song has a feel that reminds one of Queen’s glory days. In the same vein, “Why am I the One” is an Elton John-esque ballad with a fantastic chorus.
There are some glaring holes in the album, though. Many of the tracks that contain the hip-hop beats simply do not work.
In “It Gets Better” and “Stars,” Ruess’ voice is irrevocably marred by auto tune and poorly combined with repetitive lyrics and beats.
Further, “One Foot” sounds like a musical novice attempting to cover some Matt & Kim song.
Simply put, the latter part of the album is lackluster and contrived.
The few songs that are subpar do not detract from the overall quality of the disc, though.
“Some Nights” is an energetic, fun album with multiple hit songs on it. The creativity, melodies and beats will have the listener playing it over and over again.
