It was something of a miracle how long They Might Be Giants managed to preserve their trademark madcap optimism intact. It lasted right through to their last album, Book (2021). In The World is to Dig, they are still holding on to it in some tracks, but in others it is clear that even they have finally succumbed to ubiquitous world-weariness.
Maybe the surprise is that they stayed immune from it for so long. The band’s two Johns, Flansburgh and Linnell, are now in their mid-sixties, their band has been going for over four decades, this is their 24th album. But it is hard to ignore a new vibe of gloom in many songs, starting with the opening track. The lyric “It’s great to be back in Los Angeles” comes from a singer who just sounds mightily hacked off.
Tag Archive: They Might Be Giants
This live set compiles the best performances and unique recordings that were all part of our big Flood celebration tour across the US over the last few years, presented in alphabetical order.
The selections include the live-in-reverse stelluB followed by the reversed version of the same performance, as well as the unique recordings of the songs They Might Be Giants and Hearing Aid that were featured in the video material of the live show.
This album was a pleasure to put together, and everyone in the band really shines.
Special thanks to A&R man Marty Beller and mixing engineer Scott Bozack for their eternal patience, and a hearty hat tip to Robert Vosgien for mastering.