Why Some Nights was not very good
So Fun. is one of my favorite bands. Well, Nate Reuss is definitely one of my favorite singers, and their first album Aim & Ignite was amazing. Nate was in The Format, who is definitely one of my favorite bands of all time. When Aim & Ignite was so good, I was surprised to see Nate writing such great songs without Sam Means, the other principal member of The Format. I almost felt bad liking Aim & Ignite so much because it almost made Sam irrelevant. But like Aim & Ignite I did. And then the second Fun. album Some Nights rolled around, and I did not like it. It has been some time since the release of that album and I’ve been searching for a way to adequately express my thoughts of it because, after all, this is a very serious matter and it is very important what I think about it. Anyways, here is what my research and my analysis has led me to come up with:
Here are similarities between the Dog Problems and Aim & Ignite albums:
- Sam Means was involved in the songwriting process (Sam received songwriting credit for all A&I songs. He has stated online that all but two of the songs were written for The Format. Seeing as “Take Your Time Coming Home” is largely about the breakup of The Format, I think it is safe to say that was one of the two. I don’t know what the second one is.)
- They were both produced by Steven Shane McDonald
- Roger Manning Jr., keyboard player in The Jellyfish, was a studio musician on both albums. He also wrote all orchestral scores (“Dog Problems” and “Be Calm” have similarities in those arrangements, but do you see anything similar on the Some Nights album? I don’t)
- Sam Means was not involved in the songwriting process
- The producer was Jeff Bhasker, a hip hop producer whose resume includes tracks from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West and Man On The Moon by Kid Cudi
- Roger Manning Jr. was not involved
- Loops (see “One Foot”) have replaced dynamic and varied chord progressions (see “She Doesn’t Get It” - there are many many different chord progressions in that song)
- One of the biggest improvements that A&I made on the Dog Problems sound is interplay between vocals and guitar riffs (see the verses of “I Wanna Be The One”, the choruses of “Walking The Dog”). With loops, there is no such dynamic interplay between the vocals and the instruments.
- Nate takes long passages and, instead of singing a desperately paced string of brilliant lyrics (see the middle section of “Dog Problems” or the introductory climax of “Be Calm”, sings single words for a long time, varying the pitch over multiple measures (see the chorus of “We Are Young”). This honestly disgusts me. This is lazy.
- Nate uses fucking auto-tune! This is the guy who hit that super high note in the bridge of “Be Calm” (MELLL-OH-DEEEE at 3:00). This guy is my favorite singer of my generation and he wastes it on auto-tune. Pathetic!
In summary, I still think Nate is an amazing singer and songwriter and I wish him nothing but the best in the future. I would love to see him work with Sam Means again in the future (especially since I do like the solo material Sam has released) but I don’t know how likely that is. I’m not ready to blame the poor songwriting of Some Nights on Fun. just yet - I think a lot of it came from Bhasker. If Fun. puts out another album with another producer and it flops, then I guess I’ll just have to say I like Aim & Ignite but I’m not that much of a fan of Fun. But I don’t think Nate will be with a group much longer - I’m prepared to see the Nate Reuss show next time he is in town. And then 10-15 years after that, I will be expecting a reunion tour from The Format.
PS: I think it is crazy that Dog Problems and Aim & Ignite could be a product of McDonald and Manning! That is the closest Redd Kross and The Jellyfish would have come to fame…it is really too bad The Format broke up before Aim & Ignite.
Seven
So you tell me now
Your concern about
Knowing
—
Is he the one?
Off with his head
Him and his son
Off with his head
—
So don’t as me how
We got here now
All I know is
—
He is the one
Off with his head
Him and his son
Off with his head
Square
Black
happy birthday
i knew it was you I’d pursue
I knew you would be my favorite taboo
but theres nothing I’d rather do
than to sit next to you
-
i sure do love the view
watching you, dooo-dle
all over my work
with your little smirk
-
i know you see me looking your direction
i can tell you sense my eyes on yours
and all i want is a sign of affection
thats all i’m looking for
why dont you look at me
in anatomy
-
our love can never be
you can never be with me
but theres nothing i’d rather do
than to sit next to you
-
i sure do love the view
wondering who
you will love tonight
is it me? (not quite)
-
i know you see me looking your direction
i can tell you sense my eyes on yours
and all i want is a sign of affection
thats all i’m looking for
why dont you look at me
in anatomy
Glass
When I put a pen to paper, the ink runs dry
The words are not whats lacking, the mind won’t comply
I can burn all night, I can use moonlight
-
When I put a word in his mouth, I know its wrong
The words are now emerging, the road finally split
I can drive all night, I can take the right
-
The one with golden slumber has started to sew
With every growing number she starts to show
With every passing thought she stops to hide
The ones without importance will start to clutch
-
When I put a plan in action, my thoughts are clear
The words are now unstacking, me from my back
I can hold all night, I can show my might
-
The one with golden slumber has started to sew
With every growing number she starts to show
With every passing thought she stops to hide
The ones without importance will start to clutch
-
Keep it all in line
Keep it of one mind
out of my hand
you caught me like a train wreck
i couldn’t look away
i thought i recognized you
it was all in my head
—
one look wasn’t enough
i took a second glance
i thought i had to know you
it was all in my head
—
hey there sweetheart
i’ve got something to ask you
a simple little question
how do i know your face
—
at my counsin’s wedding
i recognize it now
i know you think i’m crazy
its all out of my hand
—
hey there sweetheart
i’ve got something to ask you
a simple little question
do you remember my name
Light
Picking, sniffing,
reaching out to me
a yellow and a green.
Sliding, screaming,
swinging with the breeze
wood chips at my knees.
—
In the sunlight, in the twilight,
In a dream.
—
Lying, breathing,
reaching out to you
my first ever “move”.
Walking, holding,
with our friend the moon
hope to see you soon.
—
In the sunlight, in the twilight,
In a dream.
It Almost Snowed
Singing you songs you don’t know
Singing songs written for the girl I loved long ago
The words are stale
but the message remains still
—
How cold this winter will be, without you in the passenger seat
How slow this winter will seem, without you walking next to me
How long will this winter be?
How long until it finally snows?
—
Taking you out to a show
Going with tickets for the girl who won’t go
The band is playing our song
Not you, you can’t sing along
—
Pull up to the place where we’d go
The place where I’d take her whenever it snowed
The leaves and the colors they show
They all seem to know
—
How cold this winter will be, without you in the passenger seat
How slow this winter will seem, without you walking next to me
How long will this winter be?
How long until it finally snows?
Q:I am in a YAL chapter and it is the root of my problem.
I’m sorry to hear that, most YAL groups I work with are great. Is it a problem of the leadership there or do you feel hostility from all of the group? Also, what are your goals as a student activist?
