Arts: The Music Club, 2012

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The Music Club The Music Club, 2012 How did South Korea turn into a gigantic drag show? By Jody Rosen Posted Thursday, Dec 20, 2012, at 02:17 PM ET Hey, gang. Ann, here's the thing about fun.: Nate Ruess can really sing. It helps, for sure, that he and his bandmates write excellent songs, with storm-surge choruses worthy of that big voice. You're also right that Ruess is a compelling character, a kind of gonzo emo confessor—a little bit Sorrows of Young Werther, a little bit My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I love how emotionally all-over-the-place he is in "Some Nights": whipsawing from navel-gazer ("Who am I?" "What do I stand for?") to zealot-at-the-barricades ("This is it, boys, this is war"), from alienated artiste ("Ten years of this, I'm not sure if anybody understands") to ADD-addled youth ("Five minutes in and I'm bored again"), from little-boy-lost ("I miss my Mom and Dad") to megalomaniac ("I always win"). The music that thumps and swells behind him is a bit nuts, too: "Some Nights" opens with an a capella chorale borrowed from Kansas and steals a refrain from Simon & Garfunkel; there's hip-hop production and auto-tune and "tribal" chants. It's that sound, I imagine, that enticed the Grammy nominating committee: a mix of contemporary and classic, earthy and synthetic, that feels right in 2012. But, bottom line, Ruess has the pipes. (My favorite song on Pink's album is the Ruess duet, which he also co-wrote, "Just Give Me A Reason." It's no mean feat to sing Pink to a draw.) Of course, it's not hard to detect the voice behind Ruess' voice ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Obama vs. the NRA Please, Do Not Tip Your Server And the Loveliest Tree in America Is …	Advertisement
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