Review Summary: At first glance, Factory Showroom is just like it's namesake- A collection of similar but separate things. Repeated listens, however, determine that this Showroom is more than the sum of it's parts.
Dressed all up in clothes.
From her head to her toes.
This is the way.
The talking part goes.
So begins Factory Showroom (unless you listened to the hidden track), before launching into a full-on string instrument laden disco-esque track known as S-E-X-X-Y. OK, you think, is this what the album sounds like? You start to enjoy the song, and it continues until it becomes a small orchestral solo, and fade out. Suddenly, the band launches into "Til My Head Falls Off", an expression of paranoia and conspiracy over a frantic repeated guitar riff. At a fast tempo and with distorted riffs and hard drum beats, this song rocks, in more ways then one. "How Can I Sing Like A Girl" is a slow and mellow ode to high voices, which draws on a BIT long, but never truly wears out its welcome. "Exquisite Dead Guy" is the first song on the album that slows it down a little, being even less serious than They Might Be Giants' usual fare.
They get back on track with "Metal Detector", a love song directed at a lady that soon begins to wax poetic about beaches and practically ignores the real relationship at hand. We soon get some chimes and a lush bit of instrumentation for the highlight of the album, "New York City". A COVER, of all things, this is a quintessential pop song. This is where the album starts to lose steam a bit more. (although it doesn't have a BAD song, it has songs that aren't as good, such as...) "Your Own Worst Enemy", which lyrically is interesting, although not far from "O Do Not Forsake Me" from John Henry in it's instrumentation (or lack thereof). "XTC vs Adam Ant" pits the two titular bands/people against each other, and is... fine. It's good, really. It's got a great guitar solo, it's just... unremarkable.
This, however, is where the album gets better. The slowly building "Spiraling Shape" is a rocker about... drug abuse, maybe? I can't tell, but man, it sounds great, and has one of the only vibraphone solos in modern rock music. "James K Polk" is a song about James K. Polk. It has a singing saw solo and is legitimately historically accurate. It's pretty awesome. It then is followed by... a ballad, of all things. Pet Name has a driving bassline, but is a slow, steady love song. We then get a wax cylinder recording. REALLY. It's scratchy, silly, awesome. Until suddenly, the monumental closer- "The Bells Are Ringing". A christmas music inspired song with bells, as the title would suggest, and about... government and cults and things. It's really really good, with great instrumentation and closing with a marching drumroll.
This is an album without a bad song. It has worse songs, but even they are good. This album, to put it simply, is very great.
