Young the Giant’s sophomore album, “Mind over Matter,” reveals a never-before-seen fun and uninhibited side to the Southern California alternative rock band but proves that the members still have some growing up to do.
Young the Giant’s self-titled debut album, released in 2010, put them on the radar. Popular singles like “Cough Syrup,” “My Body,” and “Apartment” frequented Top-40 radio stations and became international hits. But, characteristic of most debut albums, “Young the Giant” was structured, serious and shy. The songs were catchy and easy to identify with, but they all followed the same generic structure and the same few chords.
Besides the incredible natural talent of each of the band members — Sameer Gadhia’s powerful yet controlled vocal acrobatics, Jacob Tilley’s infectious guitar riffs, Eric Cannata’s subtle, yet, roaring rhythm guitar and back-up vocals, Payam Doostzadeh’s resounding bass guitar, and Francois Comtois’s upbeat and tremendously skilled drumming — there really was nothing extraordinary or identifiable about “Young the Giant,” the album or the band.
“Mind over Matter” proves that Young the Giant has more than just natural talent; they have artistic potential too. Although they have yet to find their signature sound, the album explores various artistic and creative paths that the band can possibly take: a genuine heavy guitar sound like in “It’s About Time,” the most popular single from the album, a synthetic sound reminiscent of recently successful bands like Passion Pit and Ra Ra Riot, and emotional acoustics like in “Firelight.” The band members explored different sounds, chords and rhythms while still showing off their high skill level. In almost every track, a bunch of instruments and vocals do different things simultaneously, akin to one big jam session. Ironically, this is by no means distracting. Instead, it contributes to the beautiful cohesion and balance of each track.
“Mind over Matter” is certainly more fun, eclectic and catchy than the band’s debut album. Because each of the songs is so diverse, there is a track for everyone. “It’s About Time,” the most popular single, features an authentic rock sound that is perfect for intensive workouts and the frustration associated with spring cleaning. It is impossible to resist the urge to dance along to the more cheerful tracks, like the relatable and anthem-like
“Daydreamer” and the infectious “Crystallized.”
“Anagram,” the first full-length track of the album, is ideal for an alarm clock; it starts off slow and peaceful but gradually picks up pace and evolves into an up tempo, high energy track. “Firelight,” the only acoustic track on the album, is by far the greatest and most powerful exhibition of Young the Giant’s talent so far. In the midst of a sea of energy and excitement, this unplugged track stands out as a mystical little interlude.
Young the Giant exhibits great versatility in “Mind over Matter,” a major improvement from their debut album, in which all songs sounded similar. This album has the opposite problem: none of the songs sound like they are from the same band, which is a bad thing. Consider bands like Blink-182 and even Vampire Weekend. Although both of these bands explored different sounds and styles throughout their musical careers, they always include a unique quality that is distinctly Blink-182 and distinctly Vampire Weekend. It is their identity. There is nothing that unites “Mind over Matter” and there is no characteristic that makes Young the Giant identifiable.
Although versatility is a great thing and a goal every artist should strive for, every artist should have a quality that makes them unique in order to maintain a loyal fan base. “Mind over Matter” explores different sounds to help Young the Giant find a niche. The band’s next prospective album, whenever that will be released, will probably exhibit a whole new Young the Giant with a stronger sense of identity. Once Young the Giant finds itself, it will reach its full potential.
