They Might Be GiantsOver the last 30 years, John Linnell and John Flansburgh, under the guise of They Might Be Giants, have taken nonsensical (for the most part) premises and turned them into pure pop gems, thereby carving their own niche in the music world. Thankfully Nanobots, their 16th studio album (not counting their albums for children) shows that they have lost nothing of what has endeared them to so many for so long.
Admittedly, Linnell and Flansburgh do not cover new ground on any of the 25 tracks on offer here, but you have to admire the fact that they know exactly what works for them and their ability to make it work every time. Of the 25 tracks, there are only one or two (such as There) that fall a little short of the mark and these are for trivial reasons at best. In the case of There, it's the female vocals that just don't sit quite right. However, this track is only nine seconds in duration. In fact, it really is just the female vocals/backing vocals that let this record down.
There are some instant TMBG classics on Nanobots. For example, Tick is a mere 12 seconds long, yet is a joy to behold with Linnell and Flansburgh stating, “If it wasn't for that tick, we would not be in this predicament, not be in this predicament that we're in.” It is silliness just for the sake of it, and that's what makes it so great. Call You Mom is another standout example, with incredibly funny lyrics and a catchy guitar hook to match.
To merely describe TMBG as 'quirky' or 'zany' is to do them a disservice. Yes, they're idiosyncratic, but it isn't without intelligence, humour or talent.
