A couple of days ago I heard a track from Josh Fudge. I knew nothing about him before listening to this track but I instantly fell in love. It was dancey, it was upbeat, it was positive, it was cute, it was sensitive– it was everything I wanted. Although the track I heard was a new single that is due out in just two days (don’t worry, I’ll shoot it out there for all of you to hear on release day), Josh told me had an album that came out last year. I decided that I need that vibe I got from his impending single in my life tonight so, here we are! Let’s dig into ‘Fun Times’ by Josh Fudge!

As soon as “When She’s Gone” took over my speakers, I knew I had made the right choice as adding this to my list for tonight. It starts with a funky keys part before Josh’s silky smooth vocals come in and take over as a warm blanket. There’s a little R&B in the styling of the vocals but the instrumentation leans more towards the funk and electronic world. It’s almost a little cloud-hop at times (that’s what the kids are calling it these days, right?) but never quite bridges that gap. It’s really all over the place genre-wise and that’s why Josh stood out to me upon first listen. Regardless of what genre you want to call this, it brings such a sense of warmth, comfort, calm, and chill that it’s impossible to not fall in love.

“Second Date” is such a cute little song. From the lyrics to the beat, to the female vocals that come in asking for a second date– it’s just one of those cute songs that are really easy to vibe out to. The conversation between the two vocalists has an almost echoed style to it making it feel super retro while the instrumentation stays a little 80’s pop making a really cool feeling for this track. “Dinner Alone” kind of keeps that retro vibe alive while bringing a little more funk into the track. A snappy bassline drives this track along with the simplistic yet stylistic drums. The song doesn’t feel overdone or busy but, when you start analyzing each part in the track, you realize just how much is going on. It’s a really cool thing to notice and I had to listen to this track a few times just to try and catch it all.

I instantly fell in love with “There She Goes” due to the lyrics and the way Josh presents them. Although still very fun, there’s this hidden darkness and blueness in his words that is absolutely stunning. Although still a dancey track, it’s the type of dancey that makes you want to sway with someone you love (even though the lyrics are not even close to being about swaying with a loved one). I’m kind of a messed up individual so I love that this song can give you such a warm and beautiful feeling while being about heartbreak.

“Hit My Line” is another great track (hell, all of the tracks have been great so far!). I feel like you get to see a bit more range in Josh’s vocals during this track which adds yet another side to this already genius musician. I was completely lost in this track until it literally wound down like a robot and led into “New Thing”. There’s triumphant energy in “New Thing” that makes it stand out from the previous tracks and made it an instant favorite of mine. My first reaction is to compare this track to Rex Orange County but I think that’s more based on the vibe, not the sound or style. Sure, there are certain elements that scream Rex Orange County but, overall, I just feel like you can’t compare this track (or any of Josh Fudge’s tracks) to just one artist.

“Sweetlove” brings the funk straight into the spotlight without hesitation. This is a super fun track that has an infectious beat to it while keeping the lyrics very smooth and raw. The chorus is ear-wormy and instantly got stuck in my head and earned itself a few listens before being able to move onto “Summer Something”. “Summer Something” starts off with that heavy synth sound that is almost abrasive before the vocals bring the calm back in. This track felt like it moved super fast. Sure, the beat is a little faster than that of “Sweetlove” but it’s not super fast or anything. I honestly think the reason I felt like this song moved quickly was that I knew this was the second to last track and, although I didn’t want this journey to end, I wanted to see what the final track would bring me.

Part of me really wanted this album to end on a super dancey note but, as soon as “Losing Time” started, I realized that was not going to happen. I also realized how perfect this slower and more cozy vibe was as an ending for this release. This song seemed to have elements I caught throughout the rest of this album all wrapped up in a pretty bow. It’s the coziest track on this album and also one of the more vulnerable-sounding ones. The vocals just feel a bit rawer, a bit more heart-on-your-sleeve and that makes this a perfect ending to a super unique, warm, and beautiful album.

My Favorite Track(s): “There She Goes”; “New Thing”

For Fans Of: Genre-Bending Sounds; Semi-Slow Dancing

Daydream-ability: 6 out of 10

What My Cats Thought Of It: Autumn slept upstairs; Artie snored from the back of the couch

How Badly I Want To See This Performed Live: 7 out of 10

My Overall Rating: 8 out of 10

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Check out ‘Fun Times’ HERE!

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