WCB Music Writer
Fun, Some Nights
Released - February 14, 2012
Label - Fueled by Ramen
Producers- Jeff Bhasker, Emile Haynie, Jake One
Indie-rock today is a completely blended genre. Finding an
album that can stand uniquely alone is borderline impossible. “Some Nights” the
second record from the native NYC indie-rock trio fun. will appease listeners
for the first half and leave them exhausted and bored by the end.
In the debut (“Aim and Ignite”
2009) the band was clearly experimenting with its sound. Valid signs of hip-hop
and then contradictory slow-paced tracks were found. This time around, lead
vocalist Nate Ruess shows off his powerful pipes matching the impressive
endurance of Adam Lambert’s piercing wails.
In the beginning this album starts
off strong with familiar distinctive Queen-esque parallels. The “Some
Nights-Intro” and the self-titled track “Some Nights” carries an operatic
chorus and climaxed instrumentation bringing to mind the infamous “Bohemian
Rhapsody.” All it takes is one go around through the track “We Are Young” and
the lyrics along with encompassing drumbeat and assisted vocals from feature
artist Janelle Monae (American R&B artist signed to Bad Boy Records and
Atlantic) are instilled in the brain. Without hesitation and setting aside its
immediate Billboard success, this is the best offer this album has to give. “Tonight/We
are young/So let’s set the world on fire/We can burn brighter than the sun.” Following
suite, “Carry On” embodies the same positive musical traits as the intro tracks.
Once this set of tracks reaches the
half way mark, it immediately shifts gears and falls off the edge. With an
overwhelming electric feel and repetitive lyrics that sound literally like a
broken record that needs to be put out of its misery, “It Gets Better” is the
epiphany of the use of auto-tune. Moving slightly forward, “Why Am I The One”
is aimed to be a more melancholic love song, but it sounds more like a
pop-appeasing mockery rather than a genuine emotion. This musical equation does
not add up. Reaching close to the
conclusion is “One Foot” a carefree song about going through life and what
insinuates to be religious context sounds more like an obnoxious sampled salsa
dance than an actual track.
This album does not work well as a
package. There are a few highlighted tracks that are better off being
downloaded individually from Itunes to spare the listener from a killer
migraine and violent tendencies. Without a doubt there will be fans that enjoy
the power-chorus vibe that this album does well, however, taking it for what it
is - Queen does it much better. Why not just re-visit the prequel.
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