Young the Giant | ||||
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Studio album by Young the Giant | ||||
Released | October 26, 2010 (digital download) January 25, 2011 |
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Genre | Indie rock, alternative rock | |||
Length | 50:48 | |||
Label | Roadrunner | |||
Producer | Joe Chiccarelli, Young the Giant | |||
Young the Giant chronology | ||||
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Singles from Young the Giant | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 58/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
ChartAttack | |
Consequence of Sound | |
Drowned in Sound | |
musicOMH | |
Pitchfork Media | 2.7/10 |
PopMatters | 5/10 |
Spin | 7/10 |
Young the Giant is the debut album by American indie rock band Young the Giant. It was released digitally by the Roadrunner record label on October 26, 2010, and was followed by a physical CD and vinyl release in the United States on January 25, 2011. The album was released in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2011.
The band began work on the album with producer Joe Chiccarelli, engineers Lars Fox and Ian Kirkpatrick, and mixer Michael H. Brauer in early 2010. Young the Giant lead singer Sameer Gadhia described the album as having a "summery, kind of an Orange County sound." Songs on the album include the U.S. single "My Body", which reached the top five of Billboard's Alternative Songs chart; "Apartment", the first international single; and "Cough Syrup", which was originally recorded for the 2008 EP Shake My Hand when the band was known as The Jakes.
Following the departure of keyboardist Ehson Hashemian in late 2009, rock group The Jakes changed its name to Young the Giant. Lead singer Sameer Gadhia said the new band name did not have any specific meaning, but that it epitomized the band they had become. "I was thinking about what we want to portray," Gadhia said. "We are still youthful, but when we aren't, we still want to have that exuberance in our music."
In early 2010, Young the Giant began work on its debut album with Grammy-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli. The album features live track recording, which the band had never previously attempted. Drummer Francois Comtois noted that working with Chiccarelli for the sessions "was incredibly intimidating, but he kicked our asses into shape." Gadhia also recalled the experience: "We were criticized in ways we had never even thought of, and were constantly pushed to reach the next level. Looking back on it, [...] he shaped us into better musicians, performers, and songwriters. It was also great fun hearing his stories about Bono, Jay-Z and Elton John.