At one time, They Might Be Giants were actually the biggest alternative band in America. Of course, this prompted John Flansburgh to remark that being the biggest alternative band is “like being the world’s tallest midget.” I think it’s safe to say that the glory days of TMBG have long since passed us by. The nostalgia that drapes over me by way of memories of listening to 1990’s “Flood” over and over and over again to both the amusement and annoyance of my friends is one of those moments in time that can be revisited often but never repeated.
However, that doesn’t mean that the two Johns (Flansburgh and Linnell) have lost their ability to coin a witty phrase and a catchy melody. They may have dabbled a bit in the world of children’s music in recent years but the new CD “The Else,” although flawed, is probably their best adult release in a little while. Having it co-produced by The Dust Brothers (Beck, Beastie Boys) does give it a slight edge, but overall this is a straight forward TMBG album. The first two songs, “I’m Impressed” and “Take Out The Trash” are very good and hark back to the “Factory Showroom” era of the band. Set to a funky backdrop, the lyrics “Girl, why not take out the trash / and once you get him out/ tell him not to come back again…” may read like they should be in an Aretha Franklin song or something, but having the boys sing it just adds to its charm. Other highlights are “Bee the Bird of the Moth” which is filled with more of TMBG’s trademark kooky wordplay and goofy round-like background vocals, coupled with Motown-style horns. The best song is definitely the last one, “The Mesopotamians” which is a unique tale of a fictional band, featuring the band members “Sargon, Hammurabi, Ashurbanipal and Gilgamesh.” Only TMBG could sing those names in any kind of poetic fashion. The CD is already available for download on iTunes, but if you wait for the official hardcopy release on July 10th, you get a bonus disc chock full of more TMBG-goodness.
Posted on it's not the band on 5/30/07.
