Coldplay-Esque

The members of musical group Young the Giant, who released their self-titled debut album earlier this year after changing their name from The Jakes, must really like Coldplay. Surely, they played in some sort of Coldplay tribute band. Otherwise, how else do you go about explaining the fact that more often than not, Young the Giant sounds just like Coldplay?

That’s not to say that Young the Giant sounds unpleasant. Not if you go for that sound, anyway. You know, that pseudo-dream like sound with some mildly depressed dude singing from a relatively non-chalant perspective for people who wear Ralph Lauren Polo shirts, walk around in boat shoes, sail on yachts, drive convertible Beamers up and down the California coast, and like to fantasize about living life like paupers. The songs where, after about a minute and a half, you can actually imagine yourself in a music video with the camera panning around you, standing next to some giant fountain in some big city, as everyone else passes you, failing to notice that you are walking three times slower than the rest of them. And that you are frowning because you are sad. So sad.

No, in fact, Young the Giant manages to pull that sound off pretty well. Some of their songs are actually pretty catchy and sound like some of the better stuff that Coldplay might come out with. Songs like album opener “Apartment” or “God Made Men” are catchy and alternate effectively between an upbeat feel and that dour sensation that bands like this usually get right. Vocalist Sameer Gadhia evokes that subtle “damaged goods” feel that Coldplay’s Chris Martin does so well, but Gadhia makes it his own, primarily because of the distinctive feel of his own voice. Gadhia sounds like a cross between Martin, Dave Matthews and the Chairman. That’s right, Ol’ Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra. Listening to Gadhia, you might feel like you’re hearing a good lounge singer’s take on indie rock. It might seem awkward, but it actually works. Gadhia can sing.

It helps that the band’s songs are well-produced. You can’t go for that polished indie sound if your tracks sound muddled, but that isn’t an issue here. Jacob Tilley, the band’s guitarist, never goes far enough to overpower Gadhia’s commanding pipes (a good thing), but provides a smooth and engrossing magic carpet for Gadhia and the rest of the band to fly upon.

On the album’s latter half, Young the Giant begins to experiment a little (really, just a little), borrowing bits and pieces from all over the roughly defined 20 years or so of indie rock that has preceded them. The album’s ninth track, “Garands,” sounds like it would have spent seven weeks on VH1’s Top 20 countdown during any period between 1998 and 2002, while the subsequent track, “St. Walker,” recalls The Cardigans’ incredibly catch (and equally annoying) “Lovefool.”

Young the Giant’s self-titled debut album is a solidly made example of soft, catchy, pop-rock. The band would sound at home on your local “lite” radio station, and would make for fantastic elevator music. Just don’t put them on and expect something particularly original.