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 I’m
a member of a great internet community called Waffles. Occasionally,
they will recommend an album and I will “check” it out. Sometimes I
hit pay-dirt and sometimes I cringe. I hit the pay-dirt of discovering
an old love I thought long ago had dissipated into the wind. This love
was for a band called The Format. I really enjoyed both their albums
and had seen them a handful of times across the country, only to hear
that they broke up recently. I figured that was that. I was wrong.
When I heard the first track, “Be Calm”, I new that voice sounded so
familiar. So familiar! It finally clicked in and well, it is indeed
Nate Reuss from The Format and I did not stay calm. I was dancing
around my room like a fool. (The new group is formed of somewhat of a
pop-punk/indie supergroup, featuring members from other great bands
besides The Format, including Anathallo (so good!) and Steel Train.)
The rest of the album follows suit from this . It’s anthemic, epic,
and all around enjoyable. “Holy ghost, won’t you come out to play? If
Lord is gonna find me, he better start looking today.” Some of the
highlights of the follow up track, “Benson Hedges”. I can only relate
to, “I don’t care to be forgiven, when I only want to be forgotten!”
This is music that resonates with fans of classic rock, as well as for
people looking for the best under the radar pop/indie music. Who knows
if they’ll ever reach the heights The Format reached, but I believe
their debut record has already far surpassed their previous efforts
combined.
A song we can all relate to... “All The Pretty Girls” featuring huge
harmonies singing just that, “All the pretty girls on a saturday
night. Come on come on, whats a boy to do? When all those pretty girls
can’t measure to you?!” It moves on and it moves forth, other
highlights including the reggae pop jam featuring an awesome rhythm
and hilarious digital harmonies in “Walking the Dog” to the
sing-a-long of “Barlights”, it’s just nothing other than a good time.
“The Gambler” brings it down and tells a good love story. “Take Your
Time (Coming Home)” is the perfect tune to close out the past nine
songs you just heard. It’s classic Format listening to Nate sing about
his relationships and life or lack there of it. It’s interesting and
it’s relatable all at once. I love hearing songs that are full of
passion and craziness and nothing other than that. It fucking rocks
for lack of any better words.
The best way to describe fun. is take their first band, The Format,
and put it in a blender with Queen. Thats what pretty much anyone that
hasn’t heard The Format or Fun. before describe it as, “Who’s this?
Sounds like Queen.” No complaints there. It’s name couldn’t be any
better description to what it is, it’s just that, Fun. An album you
can listen to in your car, at a party, in your room before bed. It’s
nothing other than the name it describes and I think we could all use
a little more of that during our daily grind.
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January 4th, 2010
