“Please don’t go so soon!” cried the indie-rock world in unison. The Format had broken up after just two records. It was tragic, but soon word spread that vocalist Nate Ruess had a new band. This band, comprised of Ruess, multi-instrumentalist Andrew Dost (ex-Anathallo), and guitarist Jack Antonoff (Steel Train), was to be called Fun. With an almost super-group kind of line-up, fans should have known to stop expecting this to be a simple continuation of The Format. Rather, Fun takes elements of each of these artists’ talents and combines them into one of the best records of 2009.

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It seems every band today claims total originality. Amid a boring and repetitive market, every band wants to say they are the ones that break the mold. They are the only band that offers something unique. Like all the other bands they sound like, they are truly innovative. This claim rings false more strongly with some than others, and indie rockers Husband&wife would like to remind their genre that “You sound like everybody else, when you say you haven’t got a friend in the world.” However, as these words are repeated over and over on the dark and minimalist track “Haven’t Got a Friend,” they soon transition into “I sound like everybody else, when I say I haven’t got a friend in the world.” This is where I have to start paying more attention, because these guys obviously have something real and honest to say.

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