I Am What You Want Me To Be - The Jungle Giants - Single Review

When asked why I classify the Jungle Giants as my favourite band, my answer is simple: It is because they somehow manage to seamlessly create the perfect balance between upbeat pop/rock melodies with infectious drum beats and lyrics that speak to absolutely anyone who has felt love. It sounds daft, but it is true. Their latest single, ‘I Am What You Want Me To Be’ is no exception.

2012/2013 have proved to be no less than an incredible year and a half for the Jungle Giants, with the energetic foursome not only releasing their second EP, ‘She’s a Riot’ - (of which saw the title track reach number 87 on Triple J’s Hottest 100), but also receiving the opportunity to tour with Indie Rock sensation Two Door Cinema Club on their Australian tour. It was also around this time that the bouncing Brisbanites announced their first full length album to be released in late August 2013 - with a single to be released mid May.

The aforementioned single, released on the 17th of May, entitled; ‘I Am What You Want To Be’ lives up to all preconceived expectations both I and the band may have set and then some.

Giving off a rather fresh and electronic vibe, the new single shows off just how diverse the band can be. Lead guitarist Cesira Aitken immediately sets the tone for the entire song with a simple, yet effective guitar riff much like the Jungle Giants sounds we have grown accustomed to - encapsulating the approach ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ perfectly. This riff is accompanied by the underlying current of percussion by drummer Keelan Bijker, who never fails to provide the missing link for the band in the form of some of the catchiest dance beats going around. We’re then introduced to the vocals that we have all grown to know and love. With perhaps the quirkiest (French?) accent I have ever heard, Sam Hales again shows us what a masterful control he has over his impeccable range - with the chorus being sung in a falsetto that would make most women jealous. Andrew Dooris’ harmonies are yet again, spot on, and make no attempt to overpower Hales.

With a brilliant subject matter, a new electronic twist, an infectious melody and elements of the same Jungle Giants that we fell in love with some two years ago, ‘I Am What You Want Me To Be’ is an exciting and brilliant start to a highly anticipated debut album, and one that I firmly believe you should invest in.

An easy 5/5.

Written by Jacob Sgouros.

#jacobsgouros #review #singlereview #thejunglegiants