Young The Giant's Sophomore Release "Mind Over Matter:" Prophetic Or Boring?

By Chad Anthony on March 5, 2014

Readers, I have to admit something. I don’t have an iPod, iPhone, or iTunes. And some days, I wonder if I even have an iClue. Mixed CDs, YouTube, and Spotify have my faithful support in today’s music downloader-craze. Whether it’s actually support or just an inability to accept Apple products, the world may never know.

What I do know is that music in most of its forms is enjoyable–except country. Country’s horrid. One of those beautiful forms of awesome-sauce happens to be an alternative rock band out of Irvine, California.

Young the Giant started in 2004 during the members’ high school days as The Jakes. The original group consisted of Sameer Gadhia on vocals, Jacob Tilley and Eric Cannata on guitar, Payam Doostzadeh on bass, Ehson Hashemian on keyboards, and Francois Comtois on drums.

“The Jakes” nameplate was tossed to the wayside in 2010 – along with Hashemian, who left due to creative differences. Since the band redesign, Young the Giant has been rocking venues.

Image from Last.fm

Before the final nail was struck into The Jakes’ coffin, the “Shake My Hand“ EP debuted in 2009 to prepare the world’s ear-balls for a glorious future. The seven song appetizer showcases their unique sound in a mellower vibe, starting with “Garands At Normandie” and finishing with the single “Shake My Hand.”

After a deal with notoriously heavy-metal focused Roadrunner Records, Young the Giant released the self-titled LP “Young the Giant” in 2011.  Two songs, “Cough Syrup” and “Garands [At Normandie],” were remastered for their second release on the LP. According to Spotify, the band’s most played and popular song happens to be “Cough Syrup,” with close to 19 million plays.

Young the Giant toured much of 2011, bouncing from L.A. to Jacksonville and everywhere in between for a total of 38 dates. 2012 saw 42 performances by the quintet, accompanied along the way by acts Walk the Moon and Grouplove.

“Young the Giant went on to snag rankings in 2011 and 2012 for Top Rock Album, Top Modern Rock/Alternative Album, and Billboard Top 200. Needless to say, Young the Giant broke into the music scene with a mellow, not too offensive, but still enough to make you notice them, BANG.

Although no trophies were collected, the group made quite an entrance into the cut-throat mainstream music world. It has been argued that their breakout LP seemed a bit monotone. On certain days of the week, I’d agree. The first four songs – “Apartment,” “My Body,” “I Got” and “Cough Syrup” – all carry roughly the same tempo and sequencing. Cleverly named “St. Walker” plays the mystery card too heavily and fails to bring the bacon come chorus time. The majority of the album falls into the kick-back and relax vibe and leaves the listener wanting more in expectation and anticipation.

Image from Rollingstone.com

Thankfully, after three long years of listening to “Apartment” on repeat, Young the Giant released their sophomore album “Mind Over Matter” on Jan. 21. Still in the process of fine tuning their sound, “Mind Over Matter” is a leap in the right direction.

Sameer keeps with his mid-range heft while exploring the upper and lower notes every blue moon. The band stuck with what they know best – rock instruments – while adding more layering to give the sound more heft. Think “Young the Giant” that moved to junior high. Allow me to help you find your new favorite song:

1-3: Slow Dive, Anagram, It’s About Time:

The first song “Slow Dive” – a 48 second growing instrumental – acts as a build-up for the album in its entirety. “Anagram” cranks the Giant vibe up a couple notches. The typical sound is apparent with a heavy emphasis on elongated intonation with steady unsurprising drum beat and guitar breakdowns in between verses.

Occasionally, the mellow roots seen in their early years sneaks in for a visit, not until being kicked out by Sameers’ bombastic voice accompanied by instrument ‘drop’ so to speak. “It’s About Time” is consistent with the previous song, but with more intense bridges and drum builds.

4-6: Crystallized, Mind Over Matter, Daydreamer:

As the album begins to take shape, the overall tone regresses heavily on Young the Giant’s melodic and non-obtrusive tendencies.”Crystallized” by itself is a catchy, multi-layered tune. Comtois opens with a pretty standard snare, hi-hat, kick beat, beat accompanied by a C-Em-Am-F chord progression by Tilley and Cannata. As soon as the verse hits, the beat changes to a lively jazzy-pop-indie feel.

Their single “Mind Over Matter” (chosen as the album title) slows the pace. Sameer harnesses his inner tenor for the verses with the choruses held in the mid range. But after listening to “Young the Giant,” “Mind Over Matter’s” single is a bit predictable. “Daydreamer” also has the classic sound found in their previous songs: heavy vocals with quick-paced, but melodic instrumentals.

7-8: Firelight, Camera:

“Firelight” holds the essential Giant sound with a ballad approach. The flow is soothing and reflective, displaying slight similarities to Bon Iver and Iron & Wine. “Camera” continues the ballad theme with more layering and background emphasis on keyboards. Lyrics are simple and easy to understand. I question whether or not listeners want a potentially cliché ballad from such an eclectic indie-rock band like Young the Giant.

9-11: In My Home, Eros, Teachers:

“In My Home” opens with a heavy alt-rock feel.  Sameer kicks it up a notch (not like Emeril) with intense vocals and it is equally as chaotic on the drums and guitars. “Eros” is laid back and speckled with distorted guitars and cave-like harmonies. Soothing verses, upbeat chorus, and faded guitar melodies best describes their 11th track “Teachers,” as Sameer showcases his vocal range.

12-13: Waves, Paralysis:

For “Waves,” Comtois sticks with a 1-2 beat on the snare and hi-hat, extremely similar to previous songs. The lyrics are slightly uninspiring with a tinge of mystery. At this point in the album, the typical Young the Giant sound is concentrated into a mesh of predictable tribulations. “Paralysis” unfortunately does not do the album justice, leaving on a now clichéd progression. It cements the album’s focus on synth, keys, and layers, having Tilley and Cannata muffled in despair.

Image from Youngthegiant.com

Currently, Young the Giant tours across the United States and Canada. They are set to perform two Ohio shows: in Cleveland at the House of Blues on March 12 and in Columbus on March 17.  Tickets are available for purchase on their website.

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