Indie pop band fun. is hitting their stride on their sophomore effort, Some Nights. The album features the band’s anthemic hit single, “We Are Young (featuring Janelle Monáe).” The track has been featured on Glee and in an ad for Chevy Sonic, which was shown during Super Bowl XLVI.
The creative process for Some Nights began in Upstate New York at Woodstock. The band (Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, and Jack Antonoff) stayed in a cabin/studio for a week, as they fleshed out song ideas for their latest endeavor.
“We all kind of go through the songs as a group, see what ideas we like, and kind of work through them altogether. But usually it starts with a sketch from Nate. Sometimes it starts with chords from Jack or I. But we all just get together, we throw our ideas together and see what sticks,” Dost shared with me during our interview last month.
Upon realizing the influence that hip-hop was having on their music, the band recruited Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West) to work on the album with them.
“It was really interesting,” Dost said. “He’s never worked with a rock band before, and we’ve, obviously, never worked with a hip-hop producer before, so [there were] a lot of mutually inspired moments.”
The end result of the band’s collaboration with Bhasker was a powerful mash-up of genres within well-crafted melodies that create quite the music experience.
The intro to Some Nights very much sets the tone for the musical escapade that the band’s listening audience is embarking on, complete with a lush, theatrical arrangement and the insanely gifted vocal stylings of one Nate Ruess.
As a music enthusiast, I find that there is something inherently special about a band taking their sound to the next level, as fun. has done on this album. Ruess, Dost, and Antonoff truly leave their imprint on this album, showing just how passionate they are about creating music.
From the roaring drum beat on the title track and the touching lyrical sentiment on “Carry On,” to the unbelievably catchy and can’t-help-but-nod-your-head-along-to “One Foot,” fun.’s Some Nights is a melodic mix of tunes worthy of being added to your 2012 soundtrack.
Some Nights, the new album from fun., is available now.
For more information on the fun., including upcoming tour dates, check out the band’s official site.
Image courtesy of Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic Records
Wait...WHAT? 
Saw them at the private show in the Hollywood Tower Hotel a few weeks ago before they started their tour. You are right that they are onto something special. Great review, keep it up!