Sharah Hutson
Contributing Writer
If you are unabashedly fond of earworm melodies, then you could definitely find yourself falling in love with Young the Giant, formerly known as The Jakes. Signed to Roadrunner Records in the year 2009, the band quickly gained attention from a vast amount of people as they reached the top of the United States Alternative Songs Chart.
After the release of their self-titled album in 2010 and their sophomore album, Mind Over Matter in 2014, it was evident that Young the Giant would find themselves gaining fans around the world. For their first two albums, I found that with each song, there came another level of new found glory.
Since the release of their first album, the band has moved to another record label, Fueled of Ramen (known for signing bands like The Front Bottoms Twenty One Pilots and Paramore).
Before the band released their latest album Home of the Strange on Aug. 12, 2016, the first single titled “Amerika” came in at number 28 on the US Rock Chart.
Their third album’s eleven songs feature the band’s boisterous spirit and thought-provoking lyrics. The first track on the album, “Amerika,” was said to be inspired by the unwritten (What is it?) novel by Franz Kafka. The song embodies the entire message of the album, the band’s history of immigration and then discovering a sense of identity in America.
“Amerika” touches on how the band went out searching for the so called American Dream, but only found that when they completed their desired goals, they found themselves searching for more.
Another concept behind the American Dream is the lust for power. Young the Giant’s track “Jungle Youth” delves into how a person craving for power will find themselves facing a plethora of challenges, eventually getting into a large sum of trouble.
The closing track “Home of the Strange” is arguably the most straightforward song on the album due to its overall message of what people are willing to do in order to hold fast onto the American dream. Overall, the album features a story that not many other artists have delved into and is fraught with songs that could seamlessly blend into a contemporary playlist featuring Vampire Weekend, Two Door Cinema Club and Cage the Elephant.