Some Nights

Fun. | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 21, 2012)
• Original Release Date: 2012
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fueled By Ramen
• ASIN: B006M4RN3U
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (558 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Pop > Adult Alternative
  • #1 in Music > Classic Rock > Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)
  • #5 in Music > Alternative Rock

Editorial Reviews

Having earned widespread acclaim with their 2009 debut album, Aim & Ignite, fun. decided to raise the stakes with this album, their first on Fueled By Ramen, by teaming with noted producer Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Drake).

The first single from Some Nights, "We Are Young (Feat. Janelle Monáe)," has generated quite a buzz, hitting the top 3 on The Hype Machine music blog aggregator in its first week of release, not to mention the top 5 on iTunes' "Top Alternative Songs" sales ranking. What's more, "We Are Young" has received major airplay from KCRW's influential Morning Becomes Eclectic, while USA Today applauded the "baroque indie-popsters" for "(making) a counterintuitive play for the big time, slowing down for the massive singalong chorus."

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

204 of 215 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Eclectic Masterpiece February 22, 2012

By R. Gerard VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

First, a word about the auto-tuning. I will say that I am generally averse to electric manipulation of the voice. The difference here is that Fun. uses auto-tuning, not to compensate for the soloist's inability to sing (as a disturbingly increasing number of popular artists do these days -- as we have seen in his live performances Nate Ruess can really belt one out). Fun. uses auto-tune as a completely valid musical instrument; it's done tastefully and appropriately, not to compensate for some vocal shortcoming. Sans auto-tune, Nate Ruess is a strong high tenor who sings without vibrato, making his high notes in "We Are Young" sound pretty effortless.

The record is one where you don't find yourself skipping over tracks. Each is packed with a catchy melody. There is not one weak link in the record, with the exception being "It Gets Better" (track 5), but even this is not a bad song at all.

For many, "We Are Young," with its massive, anthemic chorus used in a Chevy commercial and episode of Fox's Glee, is the track that exposed them to Fun. For the rest of us that have been with Nate since his days in The Format, this record is the sophomore record with Fun., following the phenomenal "Aim and Ignite." There is no "sophomore slump" here where a good indie band becomes a bit more popular and a bit more commercialized. Rather Fun. has partly moved away from the sound of "Aim and Ignite" developed their own sound out of an effective blending of different styles and genres:

At some instances ("Intro" and "Some Nights") Nate Ruess seems to summon Queen. The chorus "Why Am I the One" is tinged with early Elton John. Select bars in "All Alone" echo of early Maroon5, while a heavy bass and short, simple ostinato in "One Foot" are quite obviously Ruess's use of hip-hop elements. This track is a standout, showcasing Fun.'s songwriting ability -- a melody that builds in intensity over a simple repetition of a simple 1-1-4-5 chord progression. The track "Stars" starts out as a run-of-the-mill alternative rock piece, then without transition, changes character into an extended R&B influenced segment with effective (not compensatory) use of auto-tune cradled by classically-inspired strings. It blends these influences together into something original-sounding, while somehow retaining its indie roots. Each song is in a key signature that is closely related the previous song, making the entire album fit together as one whole, well-crafted structure. Musicians will be thrilled at this.

Musically, the songs are filled with masterful instrumentations and compositional techniques that keep the listening experience interesting. For example, stark tempo changes, as in "We Are Young," and modulations to minor key as in the end of "One Foot" aren't just clever insertions. Rather, they compliment the already memorable melodies.

158 of 179 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's So Easy To Be A Hipster March 22, 2012

By Tomato Pie

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm 55, as keenly interested in music as I was at 18. It's work to stay hip, and a lot of hip stuff is just indulgent navel-gazing LPs wrapped around one clever hit. Anyhow, THIS is different, because it is such well-crafted pop. It's every modern sound in pop music, great melodies and beats, with a strong tenor to sing it. Most of all, it's instantly accessible to kids, to teens, to hipsters, to Gen-X, to boomers. You'd have to have a hard and bitter heart not to like this.

Many write about auto-tune here. I too lament its over-use in pop, but it works here as an enhancement, not a coverup for deficient vocal talent.

46 of 54 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wild, fun, youthful, and passionate sound February 21, 2012

By Metaphysical Realist

Format:MP3 Music

This is just a great, great album. I'd been streaming it for the last week or so, and it's just so fresh and so energetic. The songs capture a wild, passionate and youthful sound in the vein of The Naked and Famous, Foster the People and Cage the Elephant. It's the kind of music that makes you want to jump for joy and do wild and crazy things---just see the video for "We Are Young" ([...]). I'm not promoting violence, though, so be good. :)