I’ve been relentlessly jamming fun.‘s new album, Some Nights. Here’s why:

First, they’re just a great pop rock band. Loved their first record, Aim & Ignite. I also loved all of the members’ previous bands (Anathallo, The Format, Steel Train). They know how to write catchy melodies over lush and intricate orchestration. And Nate’s lyrics are always powerful, whether he’s singing about going to a bar, missing his mother, or religion.

On Some Nights, fun. added a lot of hip-hop and electronic elements to the mix. Until reading a few interviews to find out why, I just enjoyed it as a pleasant surprise. What’s the reason for the hip-hop? Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. (Oddly enough, this was the exact record that started my love of hip-hop.) They also signed up one of MBDTF’s co-producers, Jeff Bhasker. Having a hip-hop producer on a rock record explains a lot of what you hear.

Speaking of hearing, how about I let you do just that. First, the intro song to the record:

A while back, Glee covered the next song. That led to Glee’s version being number one on iTunes and fun.’s version moving up high in the charts. A week before the record was released, fun.’s version moved to number one on the single’s chart and has stayed there since. Here’s We Are Young:

Great band, great album, great influences. Check it out.

P.S. They are playing in Houston on March 20th. Here’s the link to buy tickets if you’re interested: Warehouse Live!