"Young the Giant" by Young the Giant

Four long years ago, when I first walked onto the campus of Irvine High School, I was a confused freshman. I had no idea what was going on. I quickly learned one thing about IHS. We were home to several members of one of the coolest up and coming Orange County Bands: The Jakes. Eventually, all the members of The Jakes moved on, but we kept tabs on our resident claim to coolness. Now, a few short years, a name change, and some lineup changes later, Young the Giant has released their self-titled debut album. Remarkably, they have retained the same basic personality that made them the band we all loved back then, with the polished sound that a studio provides. It's a fun listen, and they definitely deserve attention as a very unique and skilled new band. The album artwork doesn't necessarily say a whole lot about the album, since it's just a brightly colored, very indie-esque mountain scene. It's cool, though! And so, here we go!

1. "Apartment" - In my opinion, this is a great opening look at the album, because it represents Young the Giant's sound well. Strong guitar harmonies and smooth, almost jazzy vocals are featured here. The song shows off Sameer Gadhia's vocal range well, too. Overall, it's a catchy song that gets the album going on the right foot.

2. "My Body" - This song starts things off with a beat that encourages an immediate trip to a surface you can dance around on (no dancing skill required, thankfully). The song isn't a one-trick pony, though. Guitar and bass work is strong here, as is a "quieter" (used loosely) section featuring a gang vocal feel. The lyrics aren't exactly groundbreaking, especially in the chorus: "My body tells me no, but I won't quit 'cause I want more." That's okay though, because the song is so fun to listen to that we want more, too.

3. "I Got" - I loved this song because it reminded me of "Shake My Hand," an EP the group released while still called The Jakes. I'm no blues expert, but this song feels a little bluesy to me with its great vocal echoes and overall feel throughout. Great guitar work in this song (at times almost sounding as though it is coming from underwater; a cool effect), as well as well-written lyrics. It's another strong song.

4. "Cough Syrup" - A new, polished version of the most popular song off of "Shake My Hand." The same guitar riff and clever lyrics are still here ("These fishes in the sear, they're staring at me"). One thing I especially liked was the new prominence of the cello in the beginning and very end of the song--what can I say, I'm a sucker for the cello. The instrumental section around the middle of the song is also improved in my pinion (more melodic electric guitar plus an increased presence of acoustic guitar). It was a great song a couple of years ago and it's an even better song now.

5. "God Made Men" - This song goes from a quiet, somewhat meandering tune to an energetic, turn-up-the-volume song. Not one of my favorite songs, but still strong as Gadhia once again shows off his vocal skills.

6. "12 Fingers" - The bass beat at the beginning of this song encourages head bobbing. Things amp up with the aid of guitars and vocals, leading to one of my favorite choruses on the album with its spectacular use of vocal harmony.

7. "Strings" - My favorite song on the album, hands down. Listening to this song, you feel like you're sitting on a beach. This is due to some great guitar melodies that you'd just have to hear, as well as some great vocal harmonies. Young the Giant makes it all seem effortless, however. They may as well be playing for fun around a bonfire.

8. "Your Side" - I liked this song a lot as well; it started out with a riff that sounded a bit like Kings of Leon, before transitioning sharply back into the relaxed and fun sound that makes people love YTG's music.

9. "Garands" - Another new and improved version of a song off of "Shake My Hand." Originally called "Garands At Normandie," the new version has upped the ante in terms of melodic complexity and a more polished sound. Still, the basic melody is the same and the lyrics are still just as well-written as they've ever been.

10. "St. Walker" - This song is probably my least favorite on the album because I thought it was a bit of a departure from the sound I loved from the band. Most jarring for me was the sound effect on the guitar during the majority of the song - it has an edge to it that I just didn't feel fit with the rest of the songs on the album. It's a good song, yes, and it still contains some traditional YTG elements, but I'm not sure if it belongs with many of the other songs on the album.

11. "Islands" - This song also stands apart from the rest of the album, but this time in a very good way. It starts off sounding almost as if in between being asleep and being awake, with subtle instrumentation creating the feel of a sort of dreamscape. Gadhia's vocal prowess is on full display here, and the song shines as a result. After about the halfway point of the song, it picks up the pace before slowing down once again. An extremely strong song: mature, restrained, and extremely well-executed.

12. "Guns Out" - A great song to end the album. All the aspects of a great Young the Giant song are here: varied melodies, strong guitar and bass work, and nice vocals. At the same time, it concludes the album with a sort of subtle confidence instead of a loud, bombastic finale. I personally respected the album as a whole even more because of the maturity of the album and the band in general.

Irvine natives have been waiting a while for this album to come out. Not only should they all be pleased, but the rest of the music-listening population should be pleased as well. Young the Giant is a breath of fresh air in a musical environment filled with far too much heavy bass and autotune and not enough creative, well-written songs. The men of Young the Giant did great work on this album. Gadhia's vocals, as well as guitar work, carry the day, but all aspects of the album are generally rock solid.

Here's a link to their Facebook page, where you can listen to the album before deciding to buy it (as I did, though it didn't take me much more than 4 minutes to click the "buy album" button on iTunes).

http://www.facebook.com/youngthegiant

Until next time, enjoy :)

"The First Days of Spring" by Noah and the Whale

Prepare yourself for the most epic breakup album of all time. Despite the obviously sad theme of this album, it is one of the most well-written musical stories I've heard. The album artwork is simple: the members of the band standing in a field with one man holding a camera. I believe this is related to the 45 minute music video that accompanies the CD (at least when I purchased it on iTunes). Watching it along with listening it is a cool experience in addition to just listening. And, with that public service announcement, here's my song by song review of "The First Days of Spring" by Noah the Whale. Enjoy :)

1. "The First Days of Spring" - The album opens up with an extremely powerful instrumental opening that lets you know you're in for an emotional rollercoaster. Interestingly enough, the album appears to begin with some hope for the girl in question to return, though the narrator says he is starting his life anew. Violins proceed to do some major heart-string tugging.

2. "Our Window" - Mournful piano and strings begin this piece, and we get a glimpse into the last night of the relationship of this album. The song chronicles the end of a relationship. It is a hard break up. "...we both know that it's over, but we're both not ready." There is confusion and regret coursing through this song's veins, and the song's sparse instrumentation and focus on lyrics really make the us feel the same emotions as the narrator.

3. "I Have Nothing" - The title of this song essentially previews the feel of it. The narrator doesn't quite know what to do. "I need your light in my life." The young man is now alone, "a new baby weeping," and afraid he will fade away without his love. Occasionally off-pitch vocals actually add to this song. They make it more human, and you get the impression that our protagonist's voice is on the verge of breaking.

4. "My Broken Heart" - Violin makes another strong performance in this song, which sees our young man beginning to come to grips with his situation, though he comes to an unhappy conclusion. He determines that, yes, he will be lonely, but he'll make it through life on his own. Trumpets enter to affirm his decision, in another instance of how well instruments mirror the emotions of this album.

5. "Instrumental I" - Orchestra nerds like me rejoice. This song opens with the tuning of an orchestra, as if to signal that our guy is ready to live his life! After a brass fanfare, strings and woodwinds enter with a joyous melody that brings a smile to my face every time I listen. Enjoy :)

6. "The Love of an Orchestra" - This sung is a fun one to listen to. Our protagonist believes he will be fine as long as he has music in his heart. "Give me the love of an orchestra," he exults! The whole song is happy, as joyous and bouncy instrumental lines as well as choir segments flying about every which way. Am I weird for dancing around my room and conducting to this song? Perhaps, but I do it almost every time :D

7. "Instrumental II" - Reality has once again set in. This song features a subdued guitar melody, plucked and strummed perfectly. Our protagonist, and listeners for that matter, aren't out of the woods yet.

8. "Stranger" - One of the best songs on the album, in my opinion. It describes a rebound, and the immense regret that the narrator feels at what he's done: "I don't believe my conscience will ever be clear again." Making the song more potent is the fact that the narrator sings to his former love in this song: "Tonight, I slept with a stranger for the first time since you left." He still feels alone and abandoned. However, there is still hope, with guitars entering in the last minute and a half of the song to a repeated belief that things will be better in a year. Our protagonist is down, but he's not out.

9. "Blue Skies" - The narrator tries once again to move on, this time with much more determination. He knows things will be difficult, but is confident that "blue skies are coming." In fact, he goes on to state: "This is the last song that I write while still in love with you." He appears ready to move on, but if the story of this relationship has taught us anything, it's that this situation is a tad complicated. Still, it's good to hear the hope for a brighter future. Instrumentation reinforces this as well, as guitars, shakers, trumpets, and tamborines make you imagine our young man walking down a long path with his head held high.

10. "Snow Glass" - This song opens with an almost happy guitar riff (but not quite). It is more like a riff of reflection, and that is what the narrator is doing this song. He is looking back at this whole ordeal, and he determines that he wasn't seeing things clearly as he is now: "... I've been looking through slow glass." He finally feels as if he is seeing things clearly, and the drums pulsing throughout the song make me think of our guy marching on. However, sneaking in at the end of the song is a melancholy choir-like entrance, making sure we know there is one last trick up this album's sleeve.

11. "My Door is Always Open" - The final stage of this album is a sort of reconciliation. The narrator now appears to be happy that he is "free from all your [the girl's] pain", but that his door is always open to her. Their romantic relationship is over yes, but that doesn't mean our guy won't be there for his former love if she needs it. The album finishes with a repeated chant about how his heart is now his to give to someone else, with guitar strumming picking in volume and being joined by wonderful vocal finish.

This album packs quite the emotional punch. It cannot be described as a light listen, but, in my opinion, it's one of the most rewarding albums to listen to in my entire library. Featuring raw vocals, amazing lyrics, and beautiful, creative instrumentation, "The First Days of Spring" is a beautiful story about one man's emotional torment and final triumph.

As always, here's the link to their myspace. A note, however, they seem to have closed up shop in Myspace land until they release their new album in March of 2011. Who's excited? That would be me.

Til next time, enjoy :)

http://www.myspace.com/noahandthewhale

"Weathervanes" by Freelance Whales

Over the last several months, I have developed a love for a somewhat odd instrument that, every once in a while, makes its way into alternative and indie music. Put simply, I love me some banjo. No, not in the bucktooth hee-hawing on the front porch way that the banjo is thought of! I think it adds a really cool, quirky sound to any song it is in. The first band I ever heard to incorporate banjo into an otherwise very alternative/indie sound was Freelance Whales. About six months ago, I downloaded "Weathervanes," their debut album, and it quickly became one of my most-played albums. It's a joy to listen to, with a sense of play running through it that sounded refreshingly genuine. So, here we go with a quick song by song preview of the "Weathervanes" by Freelance Whales! Once again, I will use lyric excerpts to help make my point (are you sensing a trend yet?)

First, though: the album artwork. As you can see, "Weathervanes" has a cover image of a hilly landscape with clouds and a sun scene made out of multi-colored cloth, knit together, along with a stick and a button. I was in a good mood before I even listened to the first song. The album art really is a glimpse into the feel of the whole set of songs.

1. "Generator (First Floor) - Enter the banjo! This first song of the album opens things up with a bouncy, quirky instrumental introduction, with vocals gradually coming in. The song is essentially about waking up for a new day, and it's just plain happy.

2. "Hannah" - This song is one of the more humorous songs on the album. It is a song about a girl named Hannah, among other things. The lyrics are humorous, with clever rhymes mixed in that are sure to make you chuckle: "You could fake a melody, we could argue over where and when, the cymbal hits should be." At least that made a music nerd like me chuckle.

3. "Location" - Another song with really clever lyrics about sensing the, wait for it, location of someone. The melody saunters along like a person walking around looking for someone, but confident they'll find them eventually (so why hurry?). There's also a banjo solo in the middle of the song, followed by one of my favorite vocal sections of the entire cd. Needless to say, head-bopping often occurs.

4. "Channels" - A teensy bit filler-ish. It's an instrumental song with very little to it, but it's still pleasant. It almost sounds like you're hearing electronics from underwater. Interesting and pretty, but doesn't really add much to the album as a whole.

5. "Starring" - Back to the action! A poppy electronic melody starts things off and leads to one of the funniest lines of the album in my opinion: "Shut me up with your long tubesocks, they don't scream 'hey, let's just be friends!'" The song is about a boy trying to understand a girl he has clearly been trying to understand for a long time. He thinks he has been successful, but he's not entirely sure. I can sympathize.

6. "Kilojoules" - Another clever, happy song. Simple as that. I loved the use of a xylophone-like instrument as well, it makes the whole feel of the song that much lighter.

7. "Broken Horse" - Well, things can't always be happy. The girl in this song leaves the narrator and "sprinted away to where I don't know." Along with beutiful instrumentation, sounds of nature are interspersed, giving the impression that the narrator is standing outside, looking for someone he knows he won't see.

8. "Danse Flat" - Another instrumental song that is, once again very simple and pretty with a sort of machine-like feel, but doesn't add a whole lot to the album. But hey, it's only a minute long, a small sacrifice.

9. "Ghosting" - This song also has a sort of rueful sadness to it. The narrator doesn't seem to be happy about what's going on, but there's nothing he can really do about it. Near the middle of the song, there is a "gang vocals" section that really bring the song up a notch.

10. "We Could Be Friends" - This song is back to the sillyness of prior songs, and it's wonderful. The narrator is trying to convince someone to be friends with him, and the appeals he uses are both funny and endearing: "I am convinced that we have been friends, were you a Tahitian grain of sand in a past life?" How many former Tahitian grains of sand do you know?

11. "Vessels" - My favorite instrumental on the album. Wanna know why? Bring on the banjo! Near the end, the pace of the music slows down as the album begins to come to a close.

12. "Generator (Second Floor)" - This song is an oddly joyous homage to the end of life itself. The narrator tells someone that "I would ask that you lower me down slow and tell the man in the black cloak he doesn't need to trouble his good soul with those latin conjugations." What's more, the narrator tells those gathering for what I can only assume is his own funeral not to look so sad on such a nice day.


13. "The Great Estates"- This song is one of the more majestic sounding songs on the album, and it's one of my favorites. It has a spiritual theme to it, as it seems to be about souls rise to heaven. It's a beautiful song, and I'm glad to know that there's still banjo in the afterlife!


Overall, "Weathervanes" is a special album to listen to. I've never heard a cd quite like it. Outstanding instrumentation as well as vocals that always ring sincere and innocent combine to create 45 minutes of pure joy. Listen to this as you take a walk around town and everything around you will seem just a little bit brighter. 


Here's a link to their Myspace. Enjoy :)  http://www.myspace.com/freelancewhales

"Absolutes" by Barcelona

Barcelona is the band that got me addicted to finding new bands in the first place, so I think it's fitting to make my first blog post about them. Contrary to their name, the music that Barcelona produces has no Spanish flavor to it. This Seattle-based band makes alternative music that is nothing short of beautiful. Their songs can alternate between minimalist and majestic, sad and fiery. All in all, it is simple, well-written music that includes some amazing instrumental breaks. "Absolutes" is their only studio release to date, and it stands squarely in my top 10 favorite albums of all time. Here's a song by song review to give you a better picture of what I mean. I include quoted lyrics from the songs as supplements to what I'm saying.

1. "Falling Out of Trees" - My second favorite song on the album. This song starts out simple, with lyrics and sparse musical accompaniment. Gradually, guitars, drums and strings add in, culminating in a majestic, almost angelic instrumental break and final chorus that makes music nerds like me smile.

2. "It's About Time" - Guitar, along with lyrics, is what makes this song special. It helps to create a current of frustration over feelings that can't be expressed, no matter how hard one tries to get them across.

3. "Lesser Things" - As weird as it sounds, this song seems to be written from the point of view of a guy who loves a girl and is asking his love if she'll still have him in spite of her oppressive (I wanna say mother) One lyric sums it up: "Will you have me in spite of her?" The song sounds like a plea for a girl to escape the prison her life has been; it's refreshing. The vocals are sung in an insistent manner and backup voices sound like a conscience echoing feelings in the background.

4. "Colors" - A lifelong love is finally being expressed in this song. The narrator (for lack of a better word) of the song admits, "... I have had 22 years of trying to form the words..." The song brings to mind an image of emotional release, of love FINALLY being expressed after years of having to hold it in. It's uplifting, especially for those of us who know exactly how it feels to be unable to tell someone how you feel.

5. "Come Back When You Can" - Strings, sparse drums, a sliding guitar, and (of all things) an "oh-ah-ooohhh" in the chorus make this song make me think of driving alone in a car, singing to someone who can't hear you. It's futile, but it makes you feel better all the same. It's lonesome and beautiful at the same time.

6. "Get Up" - My favorite song of the album, hands down. The song is sad, make no mistake about it. A simple, pulsing piano part, along with the pure singing of the vocalist make it heartbreaking. But what brings the song to its climax is a gradually intensifying, repeating plea by the narrator of the song for his love to "get up," with a female harmony joining in with the same lines directed at the narrator of the song. They both need each other, but the song ends without us knowing if they ever got up. The song sticks with you for a while after it's over.

7. "The Takers" - This is one of my least favorite songs on the album. This song makes me think of young men who don't understand the nature of love, but they try to get the girls they want, nonetheless. One line asks, "What makes these monsters cry" and states that "greedy hands grab what feels right." The narrator of the song understands he is not good for the girl of the song, but he still pleads with her to stay with him because he thinks she can "save this beast." It's a unique spin on the love song, and the music drives it home by establishing an urgent atmosphere throughout the song.

8. "First Floor People"- Again, piano and heartfelt lyrics take center stage here in a song that I believe is about a young man struggling to find his place in the world. Like so many of the songs on this album, this song is both painful and uplifting at the same time. Painful in that the narrator of the song is struggling, but uplifting for the listener because he or she knows that they are not alone in feeling lost.

9. "Response" - This song makes me think of a youth rebelling against the world. Along with music that helps me conjure up an image (something I do a lot of) of a young man just walking along a sidewalk, looking around at people he can't relate to or understand. He tells them "I'll fight you all." This dude is determined to give the world hell. At some point, haven't we all been?

10. "Faded" - Once again, this song is heartbreaking, but beautiful. This man is lost. He laments, "Oh god I'm faded out, no more straight lines." Strings play a prominent role in making this song the heartstring-tugger that it is. Still, it's a beautiful song.

11. "Stars" - This song is beautiful, but there's a sort of pain running through it. It's almost as if the couple in the song (that's how I interpret the lyrics, at least) is looking over what's around them, and things just keep seeming to come up a little short. If we've ever been in a high school relationship, I'm sure there have been times when this song would sum up our opinions perfectly.

12. "Numb" - Numb offers a look at a young man overwhelmed by expectations of life. Still, there is a bit of humor to this song. One lyric says, "All this potential has messed up my whole day." Nonetheless, this is another of my not-quite-as-favorite songs.

13. "Please Don't Go" - Absolutely beautiful. Piano and lyrics work together to create a completely heartbreaking four and a half minutes. Just close your eyes, turn up your headphones, and let it sweep you away.

14. "Time to Mend" - A fitting ending to the album. The previous songs have encompassed a trying set of experiences for the "narrator," but, as this song shows, there is always time to mend. This is an uplifting and hopeful song, with a "night is darkest just before the dawn" idea.

Yes, this album is not an "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands" listening experience. It is, at times, heartbreaking, and at others frustrated. It is the perfect album to listen to when you're down. Lay on your bed, and drift away into "Absolutes." It will provide a way for you to vent away all your negative feelings. Barcelona's debut album is a wonderful form of emotional release and I highly recommend it.

Here is their Myspace page if you'd like to hear some of their stuff! http://www.myspace.com/barcelona