by Matt Nicolay ’14
Mind Over Matter by Young the Giant
Just released on January 21, Young the Giant’s second studio album offers an interesting indie rock sound. Mind Over Matter combines near-ambient instrumental parts with somewhat contrasting strong, driving vocals. “It’s About Time” is a popular radio hit, but I actually prefer “Anagram” or “Mind Over Matter.” “Anagram” is a prime example of the near-ambient sound, except it also adds in a simple, driving bass line which really helps to beef up the song overall, and provide a better backing for the vocals. The belting vocals of “Mind Over Matter” catch my attention in particular, and the rhythm and feel of the song are both very appealing and fun. That keyboard slide right at the beginning of the song really sets the atmosphere of the song immediately, and the listener gets almost a dance feel from it. Near the middle of the album, just as the listener begins to think that all the songs are a bit too similar, “Firelight” slows everything down to a soft, very ambient-feeling level. Everything about the song is soft, including the vocals, which helps to break up the album a bit and add a mild, calming song into the mix. This calm vibe continues with the next song “Camera,” which offers soft instrumental and vocal parts once again. Following this, the album picks right back up to its original speed with “In My Home”, preceding my favorite song on the album, “Eros.” It’s a fairly simple song, focusing particularly on the drums, bass, and vocals. The guitar offers nice backing riffs, and one particular quick chord progression at the end of the chorus adds a simple but cool-sounding accent to the melody. This melody line, formed by the vocals, is really catchy and interesting, like the song overall, and I highly recommend it. I recommend the entire album of Mind Over Matter for any indie rock fans.
