Young the Giant in the Open
In this reimagined release In The Open Volume One, we are welcomed once again to the calming and serene acoustics of tracks like “Mind Over Matter” and “Amerika.” The leading frontman, Sameer Gadhia’s voice, is a warm hug after a long December day as he recounts these nostalgic melodies.
As someone who has seen the live performances of these well-loved songs, you can feel the love for them in these revised acoustic takes. Especially in “Mind Over Matter” - the opening group chorus being followed by the yearning rasp of Sameer's voice is an instant time travel. Not clear where everyone was when this song first dropped in 2014, but it feels like the song grew up with us in this single reimagined song. Without the backing tracks and without the perfect production, it's almost like fine wine. The progression of this singular song reminds me of the days spent on Tumblr, and shopping around American Apparel, but hearing it again now, you feel how much this song actually mattered as it is stripped bare in this release.
You start to genuinely feel Young the Giant again like we did in the Tumblr and Twee era with “Amerika.” One could easily listen and think that the song is depicting a failed relationship with a heartwrenching demise. In the first release of this song, you can definitely hear the dramatics as the beats follow along with the lyrics; the rise and the falls of both the meaning and rhythms. In this acoustic version, you really focus on what Sameer wants to say. While there is a comparison of something breaking, we can now hear what the comparison is towards.
The American dream.
Releasing this song during a symbolic time speaks volumes about what they want to portray. With the first reimagine song being “Bitter Fruit,” - there is a follow up in “Amerika” that speaks on the lived experience of never achieving who you would like to have, nor achieving who you want to be. The lyrics, “I am mad because I don’t know what you used me for,” is an ode to Sameer's experience attaining the American dream. Throughout 2016, Sameer was always vocal about the immigrant community and what his identity was within that culture. To hear it once again, exposed and raw with just Sameer and the guitar, makes it ethereally melancholic.
Young the Giant ends this volume of revised songs with “Otherside,” a staple classic for many indie-rock lovers. Sameer has the talent that, with just his voice, no other track is truly needed. When he hits those vibratos and higher notes, you basically ascend. A bitter and nostalgic ode that, as his tracks grow with him, they can always mean something entirely different when stripped bare for the one time. A beautiful reminder for all the old listeners and a beautiful introduction for the newcomers.
As this release was named “In the Open,” I wondered what that could possibly mean. That wasn’t until I realized the songs Sameer and the group chose to reimagine. Sameer needs to drive a point; he needs us to hear him out in the open, raw and unapologetic. The songs have been tediously chosen not for their popularity but because of their relevance. Young the Giant needs you to listen, again. More than ever.
