Search - They Might Be Giants :: Else

We're the mesopotamians!

race_of_doom | USA | 07/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At the very least, "The Spine" was an improvement on "Mink Car," and They look to be improving even moreso with "The Else." This album is almost as good -- actually, scratch that -- is as good as "Factory Showroom," and that means a LOT, as that album was a much maligned masterpiece.



It doesn't seem as good as the reviews suggest at first. In fact, my first listen ended with disappointment, despite the quality of the closing track (the utterly brilliant "Mesopotamians"). For the first time in their long and varied career, They have brought out an album that could actually be classified as "a grower." And seriously, these songs begin to connect like nothing else after awhile, and eventually the entire album experience is revealed to be as cohesive as "Factory Showroom," their only other LP to be considered cohesive to begin with.



Flansy surprised me with this record. It will be different for every listener/fan, but my favorite songs off this album are his, which has never been the case in the past. Especially in the past few years -- his work was either good or hokey beyond belief. But not this time, minus the rather meh "Take Out the Trash," which isn't that bad but is easily the worst cut on the album (a bit too Smashmouth for my tastes). "Careful What You Pack" is so unlike TMBG it's insane -- and I'm not exaggerating when I say it could have been done by The Flaming Lips or a conservative Radiohead. "With the Dark" is genius, something that recalls their past unlike any other song on the record. It's a mini opera-like suite, with genre hopping every 30 seconds or so. "The Shadow Government" and "Feign Amnesia" are maybe slightly geeky, but genuinely fun rockers, with "Goverment" especially being "John Henry" worthy.



Linnell doesn't disappoint, though. "I'm Impressed" does electronic-rock (or whatever) great, and the already underrated "Upside Down Frown" is so pretty and adorable, not to mention it sounds like it could have been on the first two albums. "The Cap'm" is a convincing rocker, with some funny lyrics as well ("did you say/...what I think you just said/my hat looks good on me?/I agree!"). Aforementioned "Mesopotamians" is easily thier best closer since, well, "The Bells Are Ringing," and also one of their best overall.



Don't listen to Pitchfork and other negative-ish reviews; this album is amazingly consistent and works more well than it probably should. Although not as good as thier first five albums, it still is much better than their last few albums. Pick this one up.



Note: the bonus CD is strictly for hardcore fans. Most of the songs are average, with a couple that are great and a few that are beyond terrible. It's pretty funny that the best moment on the entire disc is when "Metal Detector" (a live version) comes on."

Listen to this album...or ELSE!

John C. Bowerman | Enola, Pennsylvania United States | 07/13/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off, let me apologize for the title of this review. I couldn't help myself!



The Else, the 12th official release from They Might Be Giants, does not disappoint. The CD offers a total of 13 tracks and there's not a throw-away in the bunch. Obviously there are some songs that are better than others, but all are entertaining and witty. (And I'm sure your favorites will probably be different from mine...that's one of the joys of TMBG - there ability to appeal to various listeners in different ways.)



This album is a worthy addition to the TMBG canon. In the pre-release publicity for The Else, John Flansburg (who, along with John Linnell, forms the core of the band) said that "We wanted to be sure this was an album that was our best effort from beginning to end and I am very excited to report I believe we've actually done it!" I certainly agree with his assessment.



Some of the best songs on the disc are "The Mesopotamians," "The Cap'm," "Upside Down Frown," "Feign Amnesia," and the odd and quirky "Bee of the Bird of the Moth." However, without question, my personal favorite moment is the new extended version of "Contrecoup."



The demo version of Contrecoup has been floating around since 2005 and has appeared on the TMBG podcast as well as the TMBG Clock Radio (an Adobe Flash-powered application, originally released on tmbg.com in 2003, that streams MP3s from tmbg.com). The song had its origins in a challenge issued to John Linnell on WNYC's "The Next Big Thing" radio show to create a song using the almost-forgotten words contrecoup, craniosophic, and limerent.



I loved the original demo, but now the song has truly been "finished" with a much larger band sound. The length of the song has doubled from from just over a minute and a half to a full 3 minutes and 11 seconds. If you ever needed proof that John Linnell is a lyrical genius, then this song should do the trick.



And if all of this wan't already enough to make you want to add The Else to your CD collection, the first printing also contains an additional disc with 23 extra songs on it! The bonus disc, called Cast Your Pod to the Wind, is primarily made up of songs that had been previously featured on a TMBG podcast. In fact, 21 of the 23 songs were previously released through via podcast, including the title track. Two songs, "I'm Your Boyfriend Now" and "We Live In A Dump" have been entirely re-recorded for the disc, while many others have been remixed, remastered and partially re-recorded for release on CD.



Admittedly, some of the songs on the bonus disc aren't fantastic (I absolutely HATE "The Mexican Drill"). However, it is a fantastic bonus with some really enjoyable moments, like "We Live In A Dump," "Microphone," and "Metal Detector." The full track listing is as follows:



1. Put Your Hand On The Computer (1:57)

2. I'm Your Boyfriend Now (2:40)

3. Why Did You Grow A Beard? (1:08)

4. We Live In A Dump (1:40)

5. Brain Problem Situation (2:55)

6. Sketchy Galore (2:21)

7. Microphone (2:04)

8. Vestibule (1:58)

9. Greasy Kid Stuff (1:40)

10. Metal Detector (Live) (3:42)

11. Employee Of The Month (1:24)

12. Homunculus (2:15)

13. No Plan B (Live) (1:40)

14. Morgan In The Morning ID (1:06)

15. Kendra McCormick (0:51)

16. Yeah, The Deranged Millionaire (1:23)

17. My Other Phone Is A Boom Car (0:28)

18. I Hear A New World (2:09)

19. (She Was A) Hotel Detective In The Future (2:04)

20. Haunted Floating Eye (1:24)

21. Scott Bower (1:23)

22. The Mexican Drill (1:10)

23. Cast Your Pod To The Wind (1:25)



The Else (and the bonus disc) will ensure that your frown remains upside down! You won't regret buying this release!"

A Great Album

Real Name | Bucks County, PA | 07/10/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would say that The Else is an even stronger album overall than The Spine was (though, in truth, there are far catchier songs to be found on the previous record). The Else is a weird, moody, and intriguing record. I've heard, and would agree, that there are no real standout tracks to be found...maybe in the future when the whole thing can be listened to with more perspective. I have to say, though, that it really sucked me in when "With The Dark" came on. Like a little rock opera unto itself, it paves the way for the rest of the album. To illustrate this, and I don't know if this would have any meaning to anyone else, but on first listen, that was the song that made me take the inlay back out and follow along with the lyrics, as I did with the rest of the album.

I've listened to it in its entirety a few times now and I still feel that it's a strong album. Very interesting arrangements and especially strong guitar work. As the album progresses, a fair amount of horns work their way into the mix, leaving me wanting to compare this with John Henry. The songwriting strikes me as similar to that album, as well.

The bonus disc, only to be included with the first pressing but sure to be released on its own in due time, collects 23 unreleased tracks, many of which seem album-worthy. Which leads me to one complaint, if you can call it that: The Else, with it's thirteen tracks, is too short, a bit too one-sided. Had a few of the bonus songs been incorporated into the album, The Else would have been classic. I get the feeling that They Might Be Giants are playing it a little too safe musically. Their artwork and overall presentation is at an all-time high (this album and The Spine both boast incredible, eye-catching art), but one of the things I've always loved about the band is that they seem willing to toss a weird little vignette or a strange little song about nothing in particular onto an album, whereas most bands generally save these for the archives or a bonus disc, or never release them at all.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. They Might Be Giants could have easily allowed the 23 fine tracks on the bonus disc to remain unheard outside of podcast or dial-a-song venues. I just wish they'd loosen up a bit, I guess.

But enough complaining...after all, like I said, The Else is a very good album. One that I'll be listening to regularly. I suppose it's just that, being used to getting twenty or so songs for so long, thirteen is kind of a disappointment. I thought the same thing when Factory Showroom came out. But I still listen to that album; I still think it's great. It doesn't bother me anymore that it's relatively short. I'll feel the same way about The Else someday soon. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy it for what it is. They Might Be Giants' 12th Album."