fun. - Aim and Ignite
Record Label: unsigned
Release Date: August 25, 2009
Ever since Nate Ruess released word of The Format’s anticipated third LP, “Holy Ghosts” my excitement has not died away, despite my three-month-long depression after the band’s breakup.
But there’s now a super collaboration among the theatrical, ex-Anathallo Andrew Dost; Jack Antonoff, the creative guitarist of Steel Train,; and Nate Ruess, with his the holy voice and lyrics. After the breakup of The Format, Ruess moved away from his past in Arizona (which is referenced by any talk of sun from Ruess) to the lively New York City.
Accordingly Aim and Ignite glows with Ruess’ newfound better-off city life.
All three musicians provide vivid and distinct styles mixed with the sound of fun. Most noticeably heard from Dost is his chorus effect, also a strong piece of his solo release LP of Columbus earlier this year.
Antonoff’s original mellow-rock guitar shines throughout the entire album; for a strong example of his influence, check out Steel Train’s “I Feel Weird” off their latest LP Trampoline and then listen to the last track on Aim and Ignite “Take Your Time (Coming Home)”.
Ruess impresses with his vocals and lyrical originality once again, but this time with a new sense of confidence and pride, as he says in “Barlights”: “for the first time, in a long time I feel alive.” This is a perfect album for a long stretch of sunny road, and it’s definitely a lot of fun to belt out—placing it in a genre called “alternative show tune rock” wouldn’t be entirely inappropriate or misleading.
This bold debut album starts off with a Caulfield-esque breakdown on the streets of NYC in “Be Calm”, which sets a lasting theme and style. Ruess’s voice conveys a fragile yet powerful and confident feature in the opening track, which helps guide the listener’s exploration through his troubled past and illustrates how he came to Aim and Ignite, a very happy place in his life.
Fans are already familiar with the next track, “Benson Hedges” (actually a nod to one of Ruess’s favorite movies, “The Baxter” starring Michael Showalter) as it was released as a demo to give needy fans an early look at what to expect from the trio.
In the middle of the album, “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used To Be)” is another familiar song to strike the listener. The steel drums featured in this track had me bobbing up and down along with Antonoff’s familiar guitar style, which is also prominent in the next track. “Light a Roman Candle with Me” is a soft, beautiful ballad, typical of Ruess. This is the type of song I want to hear when I wake up, brush my teeth, and go for a stroll down a NYC street.
“Walking the Dog” is a bright song about Ruess’ struggles in love, and he has now discovered that he doesn’t need what his old heart used to crave. Also, in “Walking the Dog” Ruess references Antonoff’s Steel Train song “Better Love” when he sings, “How you lost your mind, and your wrist got bruised, and you wanted better love well it's sleeping in your bedroom,” a nod to the lasting friendship and influence the artists have had on each other.
“The Gambler”, a unique depiction of love that Ruess wrote for his parents, strikes the romantic in me like a Zooey Deschanel movie. Told in the voice of his mother, Ruess takes the listener through his parents’ first encounter, to the birth of their children (Nate and sister), through the near loss of his father, and up to the aged love that they still enjoy. “I swear when I grow up I won’t just buy you a rose / I will buy the flower shop and you will never be lonely.”
Like, Ruess’s parents when they were eighteen, I have already completely fallen in love with this album. Not one song even remotely disappoints. That trend continues with the closing song, as I cannot imagine a better track to finish off this ten song masterpiece than “Take Your Time (Coming Home).” A near eight-minute-long homecoming, Ruess expresses that he finally feels at home, and shows how he made it there, “How did I end up here? / How did I find love and conquer all my fears? / See, I made it out. / Out from under the sun. / And the truth is that I feel better because I've forgiven everyone”.
Ruess should be extremely proud of his new found life, love, and album. He’s given us so much over the past six years. So give him one back and check out the album, you won’t regret it.
I guess I'm crazy, but I didn't find the album all that appealing :\
it took me a couple of listens to get into the whole thing; the only tracks that really struck me off the bat were all the pretty girls and walking the dog.
the album really shines as a whole i think, at least after i gave it some time. i still like dog problems better though.
So much better than Dog Problems and such a brilliantly done album.
The only thing is, I kind of got over it already. I listened to it like 25 times and loved every minute...and then I slowly just moved on to other things. Maybe I will get back into it again shortly.
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