Review Summary: They Might Be Giants have reclaimed exactly what it is that made them so enjoyable in the first place. This is a band coming back from years of letdowns with a huge, circular karate chop.
They Might Be Giants aren't the kind of band that need an introduction. If you've submerged yourself into culture for the past few decades, you've probably heard a song by them. Whether it be the theme song for Malcom In The Middle "Boss of Me", the beloved classic tracks like "Birdhouse in your Soul" or the huge amount of childrens music they have created, you likely recognize them from somewhere. The band has an impressive background behind them, spanning over 30 years of material and sixteen full albums.
After four years of silence, They Might Be Giants tried to get back into adult territory with 2011's "Join Us". It was a record full of undeniably well made songs, but it was also a messy, directionless album that left several fans feeling somewhat let down. They Might Be Giants had received mainly mixed reviews from their last few attempts at adult records. The future has not appeared to be very bright in the past years. However, with the release of Nanobots, they are at the top of their game.
In contrast the previous adult albums, all of these songs do not feel contrived or directionless in the slightest. There's a notably darker sound on this record and it contrasts fantastically with the light, bouncy sound of their previous efforts. The album seems to maintain a mild theme of self-replicating robots, clones and other futuristic elements. What might sound pretentious on paper comes out fantastically in song.
Musically, the band is at their absolute best. In the past, the band has seemed to struggle to find the perfect mix of humor and seriousness, and at times it completely hindered their ability to make great music..(see: a fair part of The Spine and Factory Showroom) This time, it doesn't even sound like there's a question of the band not realizing where they are musically. Perhaps it's the fact that the album has some specific themes, but the songs know when to stop being silly and start being serious.
Songs like "Nanobots", "9 Secret Steps"" and "You're on Fire" encompass exactly what fans love about the band in the first place: They're bouncy, witty and extremely infectious. Gone are the awkwardly worded lyrics (I'm looking at you, Join us) and poorly done attempts at experimentation. .
"Call You Mom" is sheer pop-rock delight. Shamelessly making the guitar sound like it came straight from a James Bond 80's soundtrack and energetically including lyrics like:
I think I'd like to call you Mom/cause you remind me of my mom/Why don't you let me call you that/You're acting so much like my mom/She didn't like it when I called her name/You and her are the same , it's one of the albums highlights and it's comical enough to work.
Meanwhile, songs like "Black Ops" manage to be some of the best songs in the bands entire roster. It finds John Linell singing in a somewhat monotone voice about being shipped overseas and murdering people. The song opens with a very simple drumbeat and eventually builds up to a complete mess of distorted guitar and urgent drumming. It sounds like the song is literally trying to strangle itself. The instrumentation paired with casually sung lyrics like: "
Hey, there's a spot we missed/I see a Communist/And there's another one/And his dumb son makes it one of the most intriguing and terrifying songs in their entire roster.
"Darlings Of Lumberland" (a song that fittingly, is about a zombie apocalypse) sounds like it came straight out of a horror film. The song "Stuff Is Way" sounds as though it's supposed to be written from the point of view of a dying old man attempting to describe a murder that involves a horse and a strange man but is far too tongue tied to succeed. Alternatively, "Replicant" is a loungy sounding song complete with "doot doots" in the background that deals with a murderous clone. Are they all ridiculous? Yes. Do they manage to be lovable and fun? Yes.
Even though the album contains a handful of songs that range from 6-45 seconds, they're equally as amusing. "Tick" is a humorous regret song while "Sleep" is an extremely catchy tune that warrants multiple listens. There's a little bit of everything on this album, there are the bizarre rock tunes like "Circular Karate Chop" that borrows from "Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head" from their debut album). There are still the emotional, heart wrenching ballads like "Sometimes a Lonely Way" and "Tesla".
The difference between the variety on this album and the variety on other They Might Be Giants albums is that everything completely works. The tracks that are considered weaker still have an absurd amount of replay value. This is an album that comes from the minds of those who are simply doing what they do best and it's clear that they have a blast doing it.
There are times when you might listen to a song and utter to yourself something like "Did he
really just say that?". Once you get over the eccentric nature of the band, it's easy to take it for what it is: a ridiculously enjoyable effort. They Might Be Giants have created an album that's a perfect introduction to new listeners and for fans of their previous work, some of the best songs they've come out with in years. There are barely any downsides to this record and it's remarkable how after 30 years have passed, the band can still make a record that will undeniably be known as one of their classics. The only question that remains is: how are they going to top this?
