"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 :)