Young the Giant’s second album, Mind Over Matter, has been anticipated in a similar way as one might feel going on a date with someone you haven’t seen since high school.  Will you still find them dreamy and witty, or just kind of immature?

Unfortunately, Mind Over Matter was trying a bit too hard, and still had the same haircut from high school.  It fell short of my expectations.

Young the Giant’s first album, (self-titled), showed some cool indie-rock tracks, like “Cough Syrup”, which has some great guitar riffs and was interesting lyrically.  Likewise, the hook on “My Body” is addicting.

“Crystallized” was one of the singles released for this new album, but the lyrics have some real need for improvement.  At first it seems catchy, but is actually just repetitive and kind of dull.  And one of the main lines is “when the beat of my drum/ meets the beat of your heart.”  Come on, guys.  That’s not exactly “deep.”

The single, and album’s namesake, “Mind Over Matter”, was not much more advanced lyrically.  However, it was still getting there.  Sameer Gadhia’s vocals produced a light sound and showcased his voice a bit more.  A few other songs stood out as having Young’s unique style, as I was hoping to hear, like “Anagram” and “Camera”.  However, some of the songs were mid-tempo nonsense.

“It’s About Time” was my favorite track from this album, and is downright promising for their continued success.  It’s catchy, its vocals are great and its anthem-like sound is what made the band popular with their first album.

I’m still a fan of this group and believe they have talent.  I would just hate to see them skate by on potential and wishy-washy love songs only fit for the radio, (ahem…Maroon 5).  So, here’s to hoping Young the Giant puts more effort into their third album and wins me over next time.