Y O U N G T H E G I A N T BY A ARON CLINE HANBURY
T HE Y’R E A N IN DIE-ROCK OU T FI T W I T H CR I T IC A L ACCL A I M, R A DIO H I T S A N D A SOU N D A L L T H EIR O W N . B U T T H AT ’ S N O T W H AT M A K E S T H E M O N E O F T H E M O S T I M P O R TA N T B A N D S O F 2 0 1 6 .
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he third full-length album from Young the Giant arrives amid a specific time and place. Following their 2010 eponymous album, Young the Giant broke out with hits “My Body” playing behind high-frequency TV commercials and “Cough Syrup” receiving a full pop-cultural baptism on shows like Glee and The Voice. Mind Over Matter (2014) earned the group a new, broader wave of fans and projected the guys to headlining tours and rounds on the late-night circuit. And
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now their highly anticipated Home of the Strange just released to critical acclaim and debuted at No. 1 on iTunes. But that’s not what makes this band and this album matter for this moment. Home of the Strange represents more than top-shelf indie rock. It’s one of the most immediate records in memory, remarkable both for its prescience and effortlessness. This record could only come from a band with Young the Giant’s genes. All five members of the Southern California band hail from immigrant families. This shared experience not only brought them together and defines their relationship to America, it indelibly shapes their music.
This year, United States faces an ageold tension between insiders and outsiders. Already, the country accepted and settled a record number of refugees at the exact same time more than 12 governors shut their states’ doors to refugees. Around the world, war, oppressive governments and terror groups slung a record 50 million refugees across the world. In response, would-be asylum states quickly took steps to moderate the number of people they accept. Yet despite efforts against it, the diversification of the United States seems unstoppable: During the last 50 years, 59 million immigrants settled in the U.S. And recent research suggests that in less
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