Sarah Simkin

Fun

Aim and Ignite

Label: Nettwerk

Rating: B+

Rocks Like: The Format, a less… Sarah Simkin

Fun

Aim and Ignite

Label: Nettwerk

Rating: B+

Rocks Like: The Format, a less electric Electric Touch

Fun’s debut album, Aim and Ignite, belies its somewhat threatening title — it’s hard to feel like the band members intended to aim much more than a water gun — and even then without malicious intent.

Not so much bubbly as actually composed of bubbles, this ultra-light pop-rock group crafts an intriguing, yet somehow ultimately unsatisfying sound. Clichéd beats and worn-out a cappella intros take the place of anything fresh or experimental.

Many songs test listeners’ patience by needlessly repeating choruses and dragging past the four-minute mark, like “Take Your Time (Coming Home),” which lasts nearly eight minutes.

An eerie and mocking singsong effect is present in several tracks, most noticeably in “At Least I’m Not As Sad (As I Used to Be),” which juxtaposes strangely with the mood of the album.

The lyrics are discernable and predominately optimistic, but the plotlines of most tracks veer to an extent that’s troublesome to anyone interested in discerning meaning.

Aim and Ignite is hardly musical composition at its finest, but any listener would be hard-pressed to say it isn’t fun.

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