★★★★☆
"Home of the Strange" by the alternative-rock band Young the Giant, is the California based band's third album which was released on August 12, 2016.
Its first song Amerika, has a great introduction; quiet, mysterious, and collected. Contribution cool combinations between verses. They communicate ideas about what it means to live in America while identifying the various immigrant roots and the pathologies of the band members. Lead singer Sameer Gadhia is a first generation American of Indian heritage. The second song on the album "Something to Believe In" begins with the lyrics ’hoo’ ‘ha’ creating a tribal, organic, and interesting dynamic for the rest of the song. Intermixing references of the “higher power” and being “a slave to the mind” adds another subconscious component to a feel good environment that is created by Young the Giant. After that, "Elsewhere, " which has a slower rhythm that describes hiding from a childhood that is still trying to be identified and understood. Fourth on the album is "Mr.Know-It-All" the incorporation of rain drops in this full-fledged guitar song is new and refreshing.
To go along with that, "Jungle Youth" the fifth song on the album screams in your face; demanding your immediate attention. A song with an awesome beat coupled with lyrics that touch on topics of mental setbacks while learning how to defeat them during a long lasting battle. As the sixth song on the album, "Titus Was Born" has a meaningful purpose. It is folksy, youthful, and identifiable; almost as if this song grew up on your block and rode bikes around your neighborhood. Again, identifying with the quest for a lost identity at sea or on the land with the rest of society. "Repeat" is a typical alternative song, which is necessary to give any listener an idea of what their sound is like, if they haven't already gotten the idea.
"Silvertongue" could easily be played around a campfire and the combination of various instruments adds an additional layer to the energetically filled environment that is created by this song. The eighth song is "Art Exhibit," which presents itself lyrically as dynamic; incorporating a conversation within the song itself. The vocals are strong and invite any listener to get lost in the tranced vibe. "Nothing's Over" connects to the theme of youth, growing up, and adulthood. Referencing that it is better to "grow up when I'm older." Its placement in the album's lineup is an aesthetically pleasant transition to their final song on the album. "Home of the Strange" the name of the album finally makes an appearance; referencing America and how it’s “the land of the free” and “the home of the strange.” It combines both electronic synchronies and guitar, similarly to how the United States combines many races and cultures together. To conclude with a strong and powerful song is the way this band wants to show America where their roots have come from and where they have landed.