Singer-Songwriter duo A Great Big World released their first full-length album, “Is There Anybody Out There,” in December of 2013.
The band is comprised of Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino. Both members attended New York University together as music business students.
Axel is originally from Fair Lawn, N.J. and was featured at the College’s campus radio station last year for their show exposing local artists.
What originally paved their way to fame was the hit television show “Glee” covering their song “This Is the New Year.”
Since then, their other song, “Say Something,” has gained a recent upward spike in popularity due to the addition of Christina Aguilera. Originally recorded as a solo, the new duet version premiered on “The Voice” last fall and was exposed to listeners who may not have heard of the band prior.
What resulted was a boom in radio play and a huge jump in iTunes sales, making the song one of the most popular for the last quarter of 2013.
What makes A Great Big World so enjoyable is the sheer variety found throughout the album. Yes, it is very much a pop album, but there are many layers found within.
The lyrics are dynamic and well thought out, appealing to many audiences.
Songs such as “I Don’t Wanna Love Someone Else” reveal the heartfelt nature of the band and showcase the pure talent behind the lyrics and vocals. Other songs, such as “Rockstar” and “Land of Opportunity,” showcase their fun side with upbeat pop melodies.
The mix of slow and fast-paced songs break up the monotony that would exist if they pigeonholed themselves to the stereotypes of the pop genre.
Throughout the album, a medley of different sounds are present, which adds to the growing appeal.
In some songs, the band is reminiscent of Fun., while others are evocative of Owl City, who are both very popular and have unique sounds.
For right now, “Say Something” is the song they are known for, but I can see many singles becoming popular in the near future due to their wide appeal.
A Great Big World definitely has a bright future ahead of them in the music industry, and I cannot wait to see where they end up.
