OG Dave here – OK, no, I’m not an “OG” OG, in the rapper sense. In fact, I’m the newest OG but I’m definitely an OG in the 3A6OG sense. I’ll introduce myself a bit more later, but today we have a Quick Take for a release marking an impressive milestone anniversary.
In 1986, John Linnell and John Flansburgh grabbed an accordion, a guitar, and a drum machine, opened the spigots of their creative reservoir, and recorded seemingly every musical idea that came into their heads. The result was their debut self-titled album as They Might Be Giants and its 19 tracks included every style from a cappella to Americana to avant garde, all crafted with a playful tone and lyrics that belied their sophisticated song structures. That album featured the deep blap of a sampled baritone sax (coincidentally, the same year that instrument starred in the Beastie Boys’ “Brass Monkey”), multiple songs about puppets and, most improbably, a bona fide alt-rock hit in “Don’t Let’s Start,” with its infectious go/freeze/go rhythms.
Every 2-3 years since then, TMBG have repeated this feat, along the way redefining what are appropriate topics for rock song lyrics. Science lessons (“The Sun”), historical figures (“James K. Polk,” “Meet James Ensor”), a fictional band named after historical figures (“The Mesopotamians”), woodland critters learning to be a fictional band (“Dr. Worm”), and straight nonsense (“Purple Toupee”) were all fair game.
Last week they dropped their most recent EP, “Eyeball.” After 40 years making music together, is TMBG still TMBG?
Humorous social commentary in the lyrics? Check. Liberal application of horns? Check. Unexpected shifts from gloomy minor chords to bright majors? Check and check.
Fans of TMBG will not be disappointed here, except perhaps that the record only includes three new songs, plus a remix of the title track by The Elegant Too (composers known for their contributions to the Bob’s Burgers soundtrack). Meta self-awareness is on the menu, as we get a rock song referencing modern jazz, a jazz-inspired song about the rock ‘n roll lifestyle, and a big-band instrumental named for a renowned art collector, “Peggy Guggenheim.” This quickly became my favorite of the three. Low horns wander and waah at the start, until a sudden double-time beat with fanfares drives to a bridge that explores some unexpected sonic territory.
“Eyeball” imagines a mind-controlling third eye as a metaphor for groupthink in modern culture. After a very Ben Folds-like piano break, it ends with a shift from high-concept to the mundane and conversational (“You haven’t said a single word about my eyeball / Are you even looking? / I thought for sure you’d mention it”). “The Glamour of Rock” is also horn-centric, with a gloomy noir overcast and self-deprecating lyrics, except for that sudden turn to an optimistic major chord at the end of each chorus. Maybe it’s all worth it in the end?
The modern They Might Be Giants are doing a little bit more with each song but doing it the same endearing way. They’ve matured their delivery and their production, but still have a childlike outlook on the world and a sense of musical play. As well, there’s a lot to unpack in their songwriting. If you’re into that, check out Kiss Me, Son of Blog for deep dives on each of their tracks. Props to Chase Roper of that blog for confirming my suspicions about the bari sax in Song Three of the debut album. (Dave)