Young the Giant emerged into the music industry with their eponymous debut in 2010. It quickly spawned two fairly popular songs with “My Body” and “Apartment.” Both of these songs are fairly simple indie pop with lazy songwriting and polished production. The band blew up undeservingly and was “built for success” by their labels. Their main recording label, Roadrunner Records, is home to some of the more regrettable rock bands of the past decade, including Nickelback and Shinedown, this fact shows exactly where Young the Giant’s true musical inspiration lies. Their newest album “Mind Over Matter,” out Tuesday, Jan. 21, has a different sound than their debut album but in a way that makes it sound even more superficial.
Lead single “It’s About Time” begins with the cringe worthy lines “All the kids are throwing sticks / Politics, nights on the water / Everybody wants to get by / It’s a test of the times.” This is accompanied by a throbbing bass line that is meant to excite but eventually falls flat on its face into a distorted warble. The soft refrain of “pissed off, pissed off, pissed off” is not what one would expect Stanford-educated lead singer Sameer Gadhia to churn out. Gadhia is a fine singer and if his voice were not the one conjuring these senseless lyrics, he would easily represent the brightest light on Roadrunner Records’ lineup of disillusioned hardcore singers. A human biology major at Stanford, he thought long and hard about finishing his degree or dropping out and accomplishing his dreams of becoming a rock star. He may have sacrificed a little intelligence and soul to make it into the industry, but if anything can be indicated by album sales then Gadhia has easily made it.
Title track “Mind Over Matter” seems to become an exercise in perspective to create a synth-driven pop song à la M83 or Majical Cloudz. The band reverts to their simple, generic rock but this time with a synth bubbling over in the background. Second single “Crystallized” starts off with a howl and a booming drum line, and then goes into Gadhia’s smooth vocals. This track feels like one of the more honest songs on the album, and while it does not contain the most complex lyrics, (“When the beat of my heart / Hits the beat of your drum”) it is a nice, beachy tune that tells a story of young love.
The highlight of the album has to be “Camera.” This track easily has the most original concept and is lyrically excellent. He uses the analogy of having a “broken camera on holiday” to create the feeling of an escaping memory: “All these dreams follow / Anything that tie to / My love behind you / Covered by snow / The shine is gone.” The imagery in those lines reflects memories of youthful, forlorn nights to which everyone can relate.
Young the Giant’s “corporate-indie” aesthetic is similar to the way musicians such as Lana Del Rey or Mumford & Sons made their way into the mainstream. They sacrifice their creative ability and push manufactured indie pop that is ever so simple and polite. While Young the Giant are not a particularly interesting or talented band, their new album is bound to be a huge commercial success. If you enjoyed their debut, there is an excellent chance you will enjoy “Mind Over Matter.”
