Aim and Ignite [Explicit]

This album is simply terrific. I put my headphones on to listen to this album, and was I hooked after 10 seconds. There are very, very few albums that can capture me from first to the last track. This album did it--consistent and musically delightful in every sense--I knew that I would have a hard time listening to anything else for several weeks. The lyrics were well crafted, engaging, and thoughtful. Most importantly, the lyrics don't encumber the wonderful composition of the music. Nate, the lead singer, stamps the music with his unmistakeably catchy voice. The talent and raw emotion that he displays is undeniable. He sings about the painful experiences that are familiar to us all, but deals with it triumphantly. The music picks you up with each note. The lyrics leave leave him vulnerable, yet the music unrelentingly tries, and ultimately succeeds in lifting him [and you, the listener] up.

The most beautiful thing that an artist can do is play from the heart. This album is nothing but heart, be it broken or mended, and it gives it a ride through a beautiful emotional journey on a palanquin hoisted by oompa loompas.

Is it possible to stay sad while crying in a bounce castle [made out of cotton candy] that's full of lollipops and puppies? I didn't think so. Because that's exactly what this album is. This album is a sanity check. This album is

fun.

If you're going to be in a band named Fun you'd better be amazing, or be prepared to be mocked for the rest of your life. Fortunately, the "fun" filled, Aim and Ignite is undeniably the product of some serious talent. I've honestly never heard anything quite like it.

The eclectic mix of influences that must have inspired this little masterpiece, seems so vast, it borders on overwhelming. I'm not sure whether I've stumbled across one of the first examples of genius combined with a lifetime of internet access, or the perfect balance between medicated and unmedicated ADHD. Whatever it is, from beginning to end, it's delightful. And, it seems to get better each time I hear it.

As the notes of a piano and violin open the album, it's as if someone is lazily- almost from the need to savor the moment that is to follow- putting a white canvas onto a holder. Soon the canvas is joined by soft yet sure strokes of lush color. Though the painting that follows is whatever you, the listener, want it to be, it is undoubtedly gorgeous. The artist is reassuring you that, indeed, he is back- and he is better than ever. As Nate's voice continues to color in the gray grass with vibrant green, and the lifeless clouds with a startling white that contrasts the blue skies, the canvas is not enough. Instead of a two dimensional picture, you find yourself standing in the middle of a world being created. A completely immersive experience- I had left my dark room long behind within the first chorus line. Welcome to Aim & Ignite ladies and gentlemen- consider yourself in the presence of greatness.

After over ten listens to A&I;, I have settled on one word to describe it: Epic. A sweet, yet multilayered album that absolutely refuses to compromise on its sound for mainstream accessibility. In today's world of music that's completely disposable, this album is as welcome as an ice cream truck on a scorching summer day. From the first seconds of the album, to the last, there are very few, if any, complaints from me. An album that manages to cycle through so many styles of music, I am humbled by the talent.

Lyrically, this album delivers. From being contemplative throughout the album ("I've reclaimed the use of my imagination, for better or for worse, I've yet to know") to just the plain sweet ("I swear when I grow up, I won't just buy you a rose, I will buy the flower shop"), this album is littered with gems. All of which is sung in Nate's beautiful and melodious voice. Though much of the album deals with Nate moving on from The Format and just getting over it all (Take Your Time, At Least I'm Not As Sad As I Used To Be, Be Calm), he also sings on a wide variety of other things. Most touching of which are the songs dedicated to his parents and his newly born niece, for whom he sings ("Now for all the steps you'll take and all you'll overcome, I wanna be the one to put in a song"). As I hear the happy words sung, I can't help but wish Fun a long and prosperous musical career.

Fun, which is comprised of Nate Ruess, Andrew Dost, and Jack Antoff, is an extremely versatile band. Couple Nate's talent as singer/songwriter with Dost's proficiency with multiple instruments, and it is obvious why. It also explains the slew of instruments that you will hear throughout the album, making A&I; a truly unique treat for the ears. A crew this talented leaves me as happy with this current album as with the prospects of upcoming ones.

Earning a perfect 5 stars from me, Aim & Ignite is lacking in only one respect: more tracks.