YOUNG THE GIANT

Mind Over Matter

2014-03-19

Young the Giant's sophomore album Mind over Matter has already reached success. Climbing to #7 on the Billboard Top 200, it has already been on the charts for 6 weeks (as of 3/19/14). The album is clean and very appealing. Every note seems planned and almost what a listener would expect from a current, chart topping band.

Formed in 2004 (as "the Jakes"), their first album was not released until 2010, due to two members being in high school and others being at different colleges. It was their producer that suggested putting their schooling on hold to focus on music. Abandoning their education allowed them to release their first, self titled album to critical acclaim and positions on international pop music charts. One of the album's songs appears in an episode of MTV's "The Real World," is featured in an episode of American Idol, and a earlier album is declared by Amazon.com's #3 rock album of 2010.

Fast beats and catchy rhythms make up the bulk of their new record. With a subdued, yet pounding hard-rock style, the listening experience is enjoyable but seems to vary little from what is being done in current pop-rock. Songs like "Anagram," "It's About Time," and "Crystallized" are the highlight and make the album very approachable while many the later tracks do not have the same appeal as the beginning. It is hard to see what would differentiate this band to allow them to remain relevant in the long run.

Suggested Tracks: #2-Anagram, #3-It's About Time, #4-Crystallized

- Brian Boyce

Quick Links:

• Young the Giant Official Website