Sameer Gadhia, Jacob Tilley, Payam Doostzadeh, Eric Cannata and Francois Comtois – better known as Young the Giant – have built one of the most steadfast legacies in modern indie rock. They originally emerged from sunny California back in 2004, under their previous moniker ‘The Jakes’. However in 2011, the five-piece rebranded to ‘Young The Giant’, breaking through with their self-titled album, which featured vibrant, enduring hits such as ‘My Body’ and ‘Cough Syrup’. The band shaped their identity on their debut, which was as unfiltered as it was powerful – a collection of songs which captivated the hearts of listeners worldwide, gaining international recognition and critical acclaim.
Many indie-rock bands of the era burned brightly, but quickly. Young the Giant, on the other hand, have fostered a creative evolution that keeps them ahead of their time. Across their discography, the band consistently partners anthemic choruses, shimmering indie textures and intricately powerful sonic landscapes with deep explorations of identity and the self. From these building blocks emerged the polished ambition of Mind over Matter, a record that stretched the band’s sound to fill arenas, followed by the introspective and socially aware Home Of The Strange, where identity and belonging took centre stage. Mirror Master saw them drift into more atmospheric, reflective territory, before culminating in their most ambitious statement to date, American Bollywood – a culturally rich, introspective exploration of identity and the immigrant experience; stitching heritage and journeys into a broader narrative tapestry.
You might be wondering why all this context matters. It’s because their latest chapter, Victory Garden, couldn’t exist without it. Having reached a level of mastery that sings without needing to shout, Young The Giant’s talent for emotionally resonant songwriting, powerful live energy and their sonic mastery has culminated in Victory Garden. Now, with a project rooted in ideas of community and radical empathy, the band distills everything that defines them into something both timely and timeless. A message needed by the world both now and forever. If the bands’ previous chapters were about searching, Victory Garden feels like a band that has finally arrived—only to discover that the destination was never the point.
The album kicks off to a strong start with Evergreen. Packing a punch and leaning into an anthemic chorus, this song is a radical statement of hope, reflection and inner journey. Backed by fresh indie rhythms and thrumming electrics, this track fits just as well on stage as it does through your headphones at 3am. After the chorus’ power, the music quiets and you are confronted with the emotional, hard-hitting lyrics of a striking bridge: “Eye for an eye, is it karmic suicide? Though I try and I’ll try, but they’ll never take my life, I’ll survive, and I’ll be doing fine, but I’m afraid of the change and if I’ll still stay the same. And when I’m gone, hope the garden carries on”. Deeply vulnerable and powerful. This is a message that speaks to those deep human fears and struggles, though never lacking empathy. Just allow the depth of this powerful opener to wash over you, before transitioning into the album’s lead single, Different Kind Of Love.
Different Kind Of Love is a euphoric statement, pleading with the listener to remain hopeful in trying times. Stacked with roiling bass and ethereal guitar, the sonic textures speak of enlightenment, awe and compassion. The striking mastery of this track is that Young The Giant have seamlessly blended something both dark and vulnerable with glimmers of hope, personal power and strength. The lyrics showcase how feelings of being lost and alienated don’t have to stand in the way of who you are. “Living in a house that’s not your home, living on a prayer you used to know. Give it to the wave but don’t let go, don’t let go”. Beautiful. The layered guitars and etheric synths have a way of materialising this message into a tangible thing for the listener to experience. This leads beautifully into the next track, Bitter Fruit.
“I want to feel alive again. I want to laugh and cry just like a child again”. With lyrics that brim with such raw honesty, it’s hard not to see the picture Young The Giant is painting with the album’s third track, Bitter Fruit. There is a nostalgic uplift to this song. It is a lyrical, rhythmic rock anthem you can both dance and ruminate to. A masterful blend of energetic synths and sprawling minor keys, this song employs unexpected chord progressions and melodic shifts that keep the listener on their toes, brilliantly mirroring the lyrical tone as it shifts throughout the song. Blending invigorating pads, heel tapping beats and intricate melodies with impressive fluidity, this song is truly an ode to the 15 years’ musical craftsmanship Young The Giant has cultivated. Finished with a beautifully melodic outro of delicately picked acoustic guitar, the song ends on a gentle note, allowing the message and the music to sink in.
Next up is Already There, a track that is somehow uplifting, dreamy and melancholic in a way that keeps you tapping your foot and feeling reflective. This experimental ballad combines EDM influences with yearning, poetic lyrics and warm textures that could have a chorusing arena pumping fists into the air. This song takes an experimental shift for the band, as they venture into new styles and sonic landscapes, navigating with creative mastery and an expert instinct for transforming feeling into a descriptive atmosphere. “It’s not just a dream, you come as you are. You make me want to scream and shout all the words I’ve never said until now. I’m already there”. Peppered with intricate instrumental layers and carefully time rises and falls in tempo, this song beautifully captures the ups and downs of life as well as the narrators’ emotions. One for the road and one for the decks, for sure.
In contrast to Already there, Ships Passing is a gentle ode to the bands’ indie roots and the DNA making up their musical legacy. With a hammering electric guitar riff, a moody downbeat rhythm and lyrics such as “Needle in the eye of a satellite, I’m holding my breath, just holding my breath. I’m up to my neck and the water’s rising, stone on my chest and my thoughts are violent. Memories fade, I’ve got to get away, I’ve got to get away but I might not make it“. This song feels both like a sinking ship and learning to swim through darkness. Full of quiet yearn and struggles through the tide of internal battles, this song is yet another poetic masterpiece that would make Edgar Allen Poe blush. As honest as it is pained, this song uses a lofi base and spaced out synths combined with shimmering electrics, creating a recipe for something truly beautiful. Sonically, this song leads perfectly into the next track This Too Shall Pass.
“It’s a new and strange environment at first, suddenly finding yourself in orbit”… Opening with a recording sample from NASA’s video archives surrounding the Moon landing, This Too Shall Pass evokes a spaced out and relaxed, yet otherworldly landscape of rich harmonies, ethereal guitar riffs and futuristic textures. Starting out with a relaxed yet funky rhythm, the song gradually builds energy with accelerating drums, striking ambient chords and Ghadia’s fueling vocal. This song is strangely invigorating with lyrics that shift from struggle to hope and thrumming bass that roils as the track energises. “Tonight, I’ve learned to breathe”. The band make use of some stunning falsetto notes, really flexing Gahdia’s impressive vocal range, to add to the spaced out feel of the track. The song finishes on a stripped back vocal to hammer home the message, on a background of airy pads that shift the focus solely to the lyrics. “Step off that ledge, my friend. You didn’t pay the branch. New leaves will grow instead”. Stunning.
The next track, Mona Lisa, has a chilled, retro vibe with a dash of funky flair and some smooth, dreamy vocal textures. A message sung like a secret between lovers; this clever blend of elation and intimacy feels like floating away on a cloud, lost in the magic of a daydream. The sort of timeless tune that transports the listener with shimmering acoustic guitar and an almost nonchalant ease. As we all know, the Mona Lisa is the Magnum Opus of timeless artist Leonardo DaVinci. The comparison here being that the narrators’ lover can only be compared to an artwork so beautiful. The song dives into the intricate details of his muse as an art critic would dissect what makes the Mona Lisa so wonderful. “Is she listening to Sheryl Crow? Thinking everyday’s a winding road? Little Mona Lisa do you even know, you’re a masterpiece of the finest pedigree?” Yet alongside all the romance, there’s a vivacious appreciation lending a spunky tone: “She wears her swagger but it’s all for show. She pulls a dagger just to see it glow. Little Mona Lisa with a heart of gold, did you smile at me?“. It’s flirty without shouting too loud. Leaving something to the imagination, if you will.
In contrast, God As A Witness is a raw conversation between the narrator and higher powers, backed by tangy electrics, a heel-tapping drum beat, dirty bass and surreal synths. It’s upbeat, striking and as loud in message as it is in volume. “I’m on the edge and I’m ready to jump in. Lately I’m feeling myself”. This song brims with energy and personal power, with a thrumming rhythm, which leads into a head-banging switch up half way through. I can definitely see the crowds moshing to this one. The power of this song speaks for itself. It’s catchy, spunky and loop-worthy for sure. The song layers numerous tracks of electric guitar to create an atmospherically rich, textured sonic landscape that engulfs the listener in an expertly striking way.
Next is a heady, experimental track so niche that it could only be attributed to a band such as Young The Giant. Opening with a surreal blend of bongos, tangy synths and a dreamy, melancholic vocal, Are You With Me? feels like both a question and an answer. It’s relaxed, chanting, floating and inviting all at once. It’s gentle, soothing and patiently peaceful. “In another dream, I could be free. Are you with me? Are you with me?” This longing chant makes up the chorus; a question that floats in the air like a whisper, already knowing the answer. Oozing with soul, this song offers tenderness and intimacy, with a downtempo, almost reggae-inspired rhythm and a hazy atmosphere. In the second half of the song, it builds into something more raw. “Am I numb, or am I lost, am I invisible? I want to laugh, I want to cry, I want to feel it all and I’m afraid, if I don’t change, what if I lose it all?” This is a gorgeously poetic narration of internal struggles with identity, feeling lost and wondering where you fit into this world. Yet it doubles as an invitation for others to heal alongside the narrator.
Next up, The Garden is deeply euphoric with beautifully intricate acoustic riffs and echoing piano. This track is a poem of longing, growth and hope. “I’ll meet you in the Garden where it began. The Sun didn’t rise in the west, but this beauty when it sets, like a dreamer broke his chains, like a heartbeat burned from pain“. The lyrical talent of Young The Giant could knock artists like Bob Dylan off their industry pedestals, at least in my humble opinion. Teamed with invigorating electric guitar licks and warm, energetic pads, you can’t help but to feel this song as much as you listen to it. Don’t be surprised to find you get goosebumps listening to this one. “We live and die together, I’m not afraid because I’ll wait forever, love. I’ll meet you in the Garden, where it began”. This song is the perfect balance between powerful and gentle, spoken directly from the heart.
Lastly but certainly not least, the album finishes on a short, bittersweet melody of haunting piano and contemplative mourning, Life Is A Long Goodbye. A simplistic track consisting of just Ghadia’s stripped back, ethereal vocal and some beautifully somber keys. “What can you do when Father time is singing? And I’ve heard his melody floating soft in a dream. What does it mean? The end is just beginning“. With all its’ quiet beauty, this song truly feels like a last goodbye. What a beautiful and fitting way to wrap up such a deeply reflective, poetic album.
Victory Garden releases tomorrow, May 1.
Review Katie Eliza
