For Once, Being "Under the Influence" is a Good Thing

It's true. When you're "Under the Influence of Giants", that is. Thier intoxicating and upbeat melodies with their well-executed vocal harmonies make Under the Influence of Giants a real Pop-Rock-genre-spanning group. From the very first listen-and I continue to hear it more and more as I listen-UTIOG sounds like Sting and the Police if they were writing and playing music in 2006. They have the same rhythm tendencies, and while I don't think anybody has a naturally higher male voice than Sting, UTIOG makes up for that with their fantastic falsettos. Like Sting and the Police, UTIOG are clearly influenced by a great deal of genres, from blues to funk to reggae to rock, and you can hear them in nearly every song.

Under the Influence of Giants isn't lacking in the lyrical department either. In "Heaven is Full", they explore the possibility that the other world might be filled to capacity-an ironic but well-received theory. The lyrics are accompanied by a neat electric keyboard-pounding that refuses to get out of your head.
"Mama's Room" sounds as though it could be on a Maroon 5 album-catchy guitar and a pretty darn good voice-and then all the sudden it breaks out into a soft southern-disco-like song that wows the listener.

Both these songs can be found on the self-titled album, Under the Influence of Giants.

Listen to Heaven is Full.
Listen to Mama's Room.