Young the Giant "Mind Over Matter" Album Review

Let me begin by saying that I am a HUGE fan of Young the Giant. Their 2010 self-titled debut is one of my favorite albums of this decade. It’s just one of those cd’s that has it all. Rock anthems, acoustic jams, radio hits, slow songs… all highlighted by front man Sameer Gadhia’s gorgeous voice. It was so good in fact (4.5 stars out of 5 for my rating) that it made finding a ticket to their Tampa show in spring 2012 nearly impossible. But even though the cost was high, the guys from Irvine, California delivered. I ranked their concert at the Ritz that spring as THE BEST live performance of 2012. So it’s tough for me to say anything negative about the band.

All that being said though, their new album, Mind Over Matter, released on Tuesday, is NOT part 2 to their outstanding debut. Please do not get the wrong idea, it is not a BAD album, it is just very different. Gone are the powerful vocals, well placed hooks and mid song jams. They’re replaced by a much more electronic sound, heavy on synth.

The album opens up with “Slow Dive,” a 48 second synth crescendo that flows right into “Anagram.” This opening sets the tone for the album, sort of enticing the listener into this musical domain that Young the Giant have created. You then have “It’s About Time,” a rock heavy single that is reminiscent of 2011 hit “My Body,” but not quite on the same level as an arena rock hit.

The rest of the 1^st half of the album is single heavy and more comparable with their debut. “Crystalized” is very memorable and should receive some solid radio play, “Mind Over Matter” has a similar easy listening pace, and “Daydreamer” has a catchy drumbeat. I believe this is the strongest portion of the album.

The second half of the album makes a 180. I think the best way to summarize it, is that it’s an interesting listen. At times the rhythm section is great. Many songs seem synth, key and string driven, which works in places. I think “Camera” is a standout and “In My Home” will be great live. The synth seems to take over though in “Teachers” and comes off as distracting in “Eros,” almost as if the songs were overproduced. Even the final song on the album, “Paralysis,” doesn’t seem to do much except extend the album. It’s nothing like the feel good “Guns Out,” which closes the first album.

I think Mind Over Matter can be interpreted different ways. It might show that the band is becoming more mature. This could be a major creative leap, displaying that these indie rockers are more than just a few radio hits, but I think it’s missing one simple thing – Sameer’s voice. There were some electric sounds on the first album, but they were masked by Sameer’s powerful vocals. Now his voice seems hidden behind the sound. For me, it is truly missed.

In conclusion, I believe most fans will be caught off guard with this new album. It will break some hearts, but fans should recognize that the band is treading new ground and “growing.” It is different, but decent. I predict it will not have the commercial success of their debut, (The peak numbers for their new singles compared to “My Body” and “Cough Syrup” are an early indication) but I would not characterize this in the dreadful “sophomore slump” category.

So even though this was not the greatest review, I still encourage everyone in the Tampa Bay area to see Young the Giant live. Many of these songs have the framework to sound better in person than sitting through on an album. Plus, setlist reviews of their first shows since the Mind Over Matter release display that the guys are still playing tunes off their debut album. Throw in the fact that you get to hear Sameer’s voice live, and a $33 ticket is well worth it. They roll into Tampa Bay with a show at Jannus Live on Tuesday, February 18^th.  

ALBUM RATING – 3 Stars

Ticket Link: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0D004B68CEBB9C55?c=LNSM_CT_National_YoungTheGiant_bit_rsvpevent_111813&REFERRAL_ID=tmfeedbuyat97249&wt.mc_id=aff_BUYAT_97249&camefrom=CFC_BUYAT_97249

Jake Bugg Very Impressive in 2014 Opener

It’s no easy task being the first act of concert season 2014. Luckily, 19 year old Jake Bugg was up for the challenge Saturday night at The Riviera Theater in Chicago. Bugg performed for a sold out crowd of close to 2,500 and left few unsatisfied.

I arrived at the Riviera about an hour before the young rookie from England was slated to take the stage, and I could not believe the crowd that was already there. I must have been one of the last 500 fans into the venue, as the stands and floor was already packed! I was able to work my way into a respectable position on the floor about 15 people deep. The crowd demographic was very mixed (a good thing for Jake) There were older people, those in their 20’s, about an equal ratio of guys to girls, and even high schoolers. It seems like this young stud attracts a wide audience.

Bugg is still an unknown name in most households, but he’s gaining popularity fast. He already has the impressive credentials. Bugg’s self-titled debut album, which was released in October 2012, was named the #12 album of the year by Rolling Stone Magazine. His follow up album, Shangri Li, is being praised just as highly. Possibly Jake’s most impressive feat was performing at Glastonbury Festival in 2012 and 2013, and becoming the first person ever to go from the BBC Introducing Stage to the Main Pyramid Stage in successive years.

Jake looked very comfortable taking center stage as a Jake Bugg backdrop was lowered from the ceiling and his drummer and bass player took their respective positions in the back corners of the stage. Jake made quick work throughout his entire performance and barely addressed the crowd outside of stating which album the song was featured on.

The 19 year old came out firing with fast beat tunes “There’s a Beast and We all Feed it,” “Trouble Town,” and “Seen It All” to open. It only took about 20 minutes until he broke into “Two Fingers,” his arguably number one crowd pleaser. I’ll admit it was probably my favorite to hear live.

Even though Bugg was clearly in the spotlight all night, he dismissed his drummer and bassist in the middle of the set to perform “Pine Trees” and “Broken” acoustically. The emotional version of “Broken” was definitely the best sing-a-long of the night. The rest of his set was high energy, highlighted by “Taste It” and a rowdy “Slumville Sunrise.”

One of my favorite moments was when Jake returned to the stage to encore his new single, “A Song About Love.” This is one of his most impressive tunes in my opinion. When Bugg talks, his voice is very low and unemotional. This new ballad though completely contradicts that, showing off his range and displaying that Bugg is not an artist limited to up tempo numbers.

After a Neil Young cover, Bugg closed the night with his best known tune, “Lightning Bolt.” (Most would recognize this from the 2012 Olympics promo for Usain Bolt) This sent everyone home happy as Jake spent a solid minute strolling the stage clapping along with the audience.

In total, the 19 song set by Bugg included 8 selections of his debut album, 9 off of Shangri Li, 1 cover and 1 off an earlier EP. With Jake’s songs averaging only 3 minutes in length, his performance was complete in just about 75 minutes.

After seeing Bugg perform live, I can see how critics already compare him to Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Oasis. In fact, he even looks like a Gallagher brother, confidently working the stage but also comfortable just standing there and letting the crowd soak him in. Bugg opened for Noel Gallagher last spring for his England tour and Noel is a big fan of him.

 It’s been a huge year for this solo artist, but the vibe I received is that he’s only going to get bigger. Bugg will continue his world tour throughout the spring. His summer is open as of right now, but has plans to return to the US in June for Firefly.

CONCERT RATING – 3.5 stars

Setlist:

1.       There’s a Beast and We All Feed It

2.       Trouble Town

3.       Seen It All

4.       Simple as This

5.       Storm Passes Away

6.       Two Fingers

7.       Messed Up Kids

8.       Ballad of Mr. Jones

9.       Pine Trees (Solo Acoustic)

10.   Broken (Solo Acoustic)

11.   Simple Pleasures

12.   Green Man

13.   Kingpin

14.   Taste It

15.   Slumville Sunrise

16.   What Doesn’t Kill You

ENCORE:

17.   A Song About Love

18.   My My, Hey Hey (Neil Young Cover)

19.  Lightning Bolt

Let's Begin at the Beginning

Hello to all my readers and welcome to “The Only Music Blog.” This is my first entry in what I hope will become a regular thing. I hope you guys enjoy reading and please feel free to share your thoughts below at any time!

About Me:

My name is Mike and I am a young professional living in Tampa, Florida. I attended the University of Tampa and was fortunate enough to be hired by a great company upon graduating. I work for an event management organization that puts on world-class triathlon races. Some hobbies of mine include running, watching sports, and most importantly, being an avid music listener and concert attendee.

How this came about:

Simply put, I go to A LOT of concerts. I do not have exact numbers, but to put things in somewhat perspective, I attended close to 60 concerts in 2013, including some major festivals. I always enjoy talking about the shows I’ve seen, and voicing my opinion and encouraging others to attend those bands that really impressed me. Typically this was done in person or through brief reviews on twitter. (really more like one liners praising those that put on a great show) But 2014 is about raising the bar, so I hope this blog can expand my audience and educate my readers on new bands and must see acts.

Why now?

2 reasons. The first is that it is now 2014 and I’m about to see my first show of the year. (I’m writing this as I’m on route to Chicago for the weekend)…so this was the best place to start. I hope to continue my concert reviews throughout all of 2014. I have some great concert plans and am excited to share with you. I’m very lucky to live in a great destination like Tampa, as many bands elect to stop on tour here. Additionally, I should have 2-4 major festivals on the calendar for 2014 that should be absolutely epic!

Reason #2: This was a huge week for the music industry. Often called “Festival Revealing Week,” the third week of the year is when some major music festivals announce their lineup. It starts with Coachella, which put out a pretty strong lineup, and is followed by the revealing of festivals such as Hangout, Firefly, New Orleans Jazz Fest, and Shaky Knees. (I’ll have more info on these in my “Festival Power Rankings” in an edition to come) Now that these lineups are out, and those for Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza are within the 2-month outlook, the music industry is buzzing. With all the excitement this week, I thought it’d be the perfect time to debut.    

What you can expect?

First and foremost, I will use this to review all the concerts I see. I will make recommendations and tell you who is really worth paying to see. Additionally though, you may see any of the following – updates on what bands I’m liking, album reviews, concert outlooks, set list reviews and introductions of new bands. 

My Taste:

Tough to summarize, but I would say alternative rock fan that tends to stray to the indie / folk side. A few of my favorites include: Arcade Fire, Mumford and Sons, Third Eye Blind, Twenty One Pilots, Young the Giant, Dawes, Frank Turner, Foo Fighters, Oasis, Imagine Dragons upon many many others.

First Up:

A young rookie from England by the name of Jake Bugg. This is my first time seeing Jake live, and I’m quite glad it will be in a great music town like Chicago.  Taking place tomorrow night from the Riviera Theater. Next entry should be his review.