Young the Giant

I am quite the music snob and have listened to a number of indie bands. My biggest problems with new indie bands is that they're too cute-sounding, for lack of a better description. Young the Giant is different, however. They have soul. Listening to them is like listening to an early version of Interpol. I feel they haven't found their sound yet but their experimentation seeking it is beautiful. The music is at times sporadic and despondent. I love how they play their guitars off beat at times and how they can shift their songs to be quiet, loud and thematic, but also pensive when it needs to be. Sameer's vocals are full of soul and really drive the music. Since the indie music golden age of 2004-2005, I haven't found much music I obsess over, but this is my new obsession from a handful of new albums I consider worthy of further listening..

This is one of my fav albums, start to finish. It flows really well, where you really want to listen to it as an album instead of just hit a few songs. I describe this album as pop/jam music - the guitar player is brilliant - his sound, taste, writing. The songs are similar in way but that is why the album flows so well. Great album. Their second album was dissappointing compared to this one - it does not flow, has too much keyboards, which weakens the music for me. it does have some great songs, but i can't listen to the whole album like i can this one. i love the drummer - the guitar and drums really drive music. great sound.

While trudging along on one of my usual sampling escapades through the countless new artists here on Amazon.com I stumbled upon Young the Giant with a sudden sense of surprise and instant curiosity. My first song sample was "I Got" I recall. And I was immediately struck by how the singer Sameer Gadhia sounded a great deal like The Guess Who's great Burton Cummings. I was profoundly impressed as most of the new artists whose samples I had perused were mostly homogonous, uninspired, melodically challenged, and frankly, forgettable. I dug into more of Young the Giant, all the while with mouth agape and a frozen expression of pure delight.With any great find that I have ever stumbled upon in popular music, it has always been the case that I could hear many different artists styles reflected in these new works. And I did listen to this band with an open ear. Alongside the Burton Cummings style, I could also relate sounds and styles to The Cutting Crew, Sting, White Lies, and the Killers - all of whom are great representations of solid songwriting with strong melodic structure that is pleasing to the ear.Certainly, with any new band's debut album there is a general lack of continuity and thematic adherence. It seems that every debut album is a somewhat eclectic collection of years of prior writings meant to showcase an artist's versatility - and Young the Giant certainly shows a solid amount of versatility compared to its current peers.Being a child of the seventies and eighties, I am naturally resistant and extremely critical of most music released after 1989 - okay I AM a dinosaur of sorts. But honestly, I have not heard a lot of music since that meets up to the artistry and craft of those released way back when. Young the Giant is one of those rare bands that have burst through the radar to land into my very selective music collection. Young the Giant is a easy listen. There is a warm feeling behind the songs and a sense of melody and charm that is rarely seen in other bands of this new era of "ring-tone-ready" music production.I most certainly believe this band will be around for quite some time. As far as Young the Giant's debut release goes... I wholeheartedly recommend purchasing this album - this is an introduction to a band that may very well represent a positive change in the industry!

Listened to this record before reading the reviews, which is a very good thing. A lot of music websites I frequent panned this album for being too radio friendly and not being very unique. I bet anytime "Cough Syrup" or "Apartment" comes on the radio, those same guys will listen to it. There's nothing wrong with a catchy record that relies on hooks; not every alt band is trying to be Pavement.On the flip side, the 2nd half of the album does lose a considerable amount of steam. After "Strings", the songs start melding together for me. Either way, I like the energy, I like Sameer Gadhia's voice, and I like how polished each track is. Definitely worth your time.

Okay, I'll be completely honest, I bought this album because I liked one track I heard on the radio, and Amazon was selling it for very, very cheap for a few days last winter. I don't think I even listened to all the samples before committing! So I went into it thinking, if I like 2 or 3 songs, that's good enough. Lo and behold, I really enjoy the whole album. The lead singer's voice is clear and has just the right amount of alt-rock edge to it, without crossing too far into pop or rock. The songs, while catchy, still maintain enough depth to keep you interested and coming back for more. The band's sound is unique -- not quite like anything else in my music collection.