The Pelican’s Perch

Most of you know through reading my blog all these years that I’m a sucker for anything The Format released.  Call it a guilty pleasure, but you can’t deny the head bobbing nature of all their songs, and as a musician myself, I always loved their instrumentation.  Put strings and horns in any song and I’ll love it.  Nate’s voice became a staple to the Format’s sound, and Sam Means’ instrumentation completed the band’s sound with a wealth of horns, strings, and everything else in the kitchen sink.  For a while there, it seemed The Format were unstoppable, then in February of ‘08, they suddenly called it quits.  Fans were dismayed to say the least, and I was one of them, and one was left wondering if they’d ever hear the Format again.

Well, the Format isn’t back yet, but Nate sure is, and in a big way.  His new band, Fun., finds him teaming up with Andrew Dost of Anathallo and Jack Antonoff of Steel Train.  Aim and Ignite sounds exactly like you might think.  Nate’s vocals carry the band, making it feel like a worthy addition to the Format’s catalogue, but the instrumentation feels much more orchestral this time around with Andrew and Jack backing Nate up.  Do I like Fun. better than The Format?  That a good question that remains unanswered, considering both the Format’s past albums became staples in my collection.  But having brought this new album to my shoe store job, and having myboss give it the “yeah that’s poppy enough” OK, I’ve definitely had plenty of listens through to make up my mind that it’s a great album.  But in a very different way than I enjoyed the Format.

The opener, “Be Calm”, introduces the new collaboration’s sound right from the start.  More strings, less serious lyrics, and a little gentler than the Format’s full ahead pop sound.  “Benson Hedges” sounds like Jack’s doing, and has a a very big Steel Train feel to it.  And the rest of the album simply follows suit.  There’s piano, horns, and strings abound, but it never quite feels like a new Format album to me, and I think that’s for the best in the end.  Other stand-outs include “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)”, “Walking the Dog”, and “The Gambler”.

When all is said and done, fans of the Format will be happy to hear Nate playing music again, but it should be hit or miss for bigger fans of the band.  They’ll develop a new community of fans simply because of the three main bands the members of Fun. belong to, but disregarding the Format comparisons and treating Fun. as their own band, I think Aim and Ignite stands on its own as one of the year’s best pop releases.  It’s no new Format album, but it never really tries to be.  I’m rooting for Nate and all the member of Fun. to make it just as big as the Format did, and I hope whatever Sam’s doing these days eventually leads to new music as well.  But as it stands, I’m plenty happy with Fun. and their new album and highly recommend it to anyone who will listen.

Fun.
Aim and Ignite
Perch Score:  8.756/10

1. “Be Calm”
2. “Benson Hedges”
3. “All the Pretty Girls (On a Saturday Night)”
4. “I Wanna Be the One (BaBaBa)”
5. “At Least I’m Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)” [mp3]
   
6. “Light a Roman Candle with Me”
7. “Walking the Dog”
8. “Barlights”
9. “The Gambler”
10. “Take Your Time (Coming Home)”

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