If you discovered California band Young the Giant through a heartbreaking cover of its song “Cough Syrup” on “Glee” Season 3, you’re not alone. If the track’s unapologetically candid lyrics and thumping drum sound struck a chord, you may want to check out the latest addition to the band’s discography.
Young the Giant’s sixth studio album “Victory Garden,” released Friday, reaches into the band’s familiar bag of tricks to deliver a tracklist of emotional — yet slightly cliche — indie rock anthems.
Opening track “Evergreen” started off upbeat with a tight drumline and complementary bass part, but left me feeling unsatisfied with its somewhat cryptic lyrics.
During the bridge, instruments fade as the band members perform an a cappella harmony, creating a similar effect to the famous opening of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” However, the sung lyrics “Eye for an eye / Is it karmic suicide?” didn’t hit quite as hard and repeated lines from the first verse.
In “Different Kind Of Love,” I noticed an overreliance on generic lyrics. From the self-referential line “My heart, my body tells me ‘No,’” which alludes to one of the band’s biggest hits, “My Body,” to the cliche “Livin’ on a prayer you used to know,” the song is one of several that sound more formulaic than innovative.
“Bitter Fruit” feels coming of age in the way Young the Giant is famous for. High-energy electric guitar and drums back lead vocalist Sameer Gadhia as he sings, “I wanna feel alive again / I wanna laugh and cry just like a child again.”
Gadhia’s vocals sound best in songs like this one where he can really belt — perfect for singing along to with the volume turned up and the windows rolled down.
“Mona Lisa” is a playful number that lightens the album’s overall tone. A spunky bassline accompanies lyrics like “She wears a swagger, but it’s all for show.” Sing-song backup vocals and a keyboard progression further differentiate this song from others on the tracklist.
Heavily reverbed vocals and synth keyboard create an intoxicated sound on “Are You With Me?” that match the song’s apparent lyrical subject matter. Though dreamy and mellow to begin with, the vocal echoes compound over time to intensify behind bleak lyrics like “Another drag, another drink, until I disappear.”
However, as Gadhia sings, “I wanna change before I fade or lose another year / Maybe then I’ll start to live,” the mix pauses before returning to its original pleasant rhythms and harmonies, showcasing what it might feel like to begin anew.
The album ends with “Life Is a Long Goodbye,” a pared-down track with lyrics as existential as its title over a simple piano accompaniment.
On “Victory Garden,” Young the Giant largely follows a tried-and-true formula of brooding lyrics set to high-energy instrumentation. Although I wish the band would have taken a few more risks, the album features strong production, passionate performances and more of that classic “Cough Syrup” angst.
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