Die-hard fans of Brooklyn's Ambassadors of Love, They Might Be Giants, know full well that their traditional album production cycle involves a new album every two years. Their last record, Factory Showroom, hit stores in November of 1996. You do the math. Though the precise two-year mark may be a few months off, TMBG is set to unleash its newest album upon an unsuspecting world this August. Unfortunately, Severe Tire Damage is more notable for its tantalizing glimpses of what might have been than for what it offers on its own.
That's not to say that STD (one of the few album titles where the acronym is as clever as the full name) doesn't offer some tasty musical treats. It's mostly a collection of live tracks, some recorded in front of an actual audience and others recorded at live in-studio radio appearances. In a sense, the record stands as a live "greatest hits" compilation. All the well-known classic tunes are there, including "Birdhouse in Your Soul," "Particle Man," and "Ana Ng." Yet like their latest live shows, the track selection favors the full-band material from Factory Showroom.
For the most part, the live tracks capture the full band sound of They Might Be Giants at its finest. Not only are John Flansburgh and John Linnell joined by a drummer and bass player on all but one track, but a horn section also enhances the band on a number of the tunes. Jim O'Connor does some exceptional trumpet work throughout the record, including a searing solo to open "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)." Included on STD are such never-before-released live staples as the fast version of "Why Does the Sun Shine," the full-band arrangement of "She's An Angel," and "They Got Lost," telling the sad tale of TMBG lost and searching for a radio station as a slammin' funk-style beat wails away. The version of "Ana Ng" is a bit listless, and the version of "Particle Man" could benefit greatly from some contributions from O'Connor's trumpet. Still, it's a strong live disc.
As great as the live tracks are, the few tantalizing glimpses into what a new TMBG studio album might have offered make the mouth water, and categorize STD as somewhat of a disappointment. (Well, STDs are always disappointing, especially syphillis. But we're discussing the album here, not genital warts. Thank GOD for that.) "First Kiss" is a John Flansburgh treat, continuing his thematic explorations of love affairs gone sour in his usual Costellian vein. "About Me" falls into the grand TMBG tradition of 30-second songs that would make fantastic four or five-minute songs. It truly swings for as long as it lasts, but it's as though the Johns suddenly got bored with the music and abandoned it incomplete.
Standing far beyond all these great new tracks is the opening tune on the disc, "Doctor Worm." This might be the most wacky, accessible, and infectious TMBG song since "Birdhouse." It certainly deserves to rack up some serious airplay on alternative radio stations. Much of Their recent album work has mined various genres of seventies pop music, and this tune is no exception, with the horn riffs calling to mind classic Chicago and the bongo riffs calling to mind any number of seventies cop show theme songs. Best of all, it's catchy as malaria, and in such a goofy way that you don't mind humming it in your head all day. Please, please, PLEASE play this song on the radio if you're reading this and you possess that power! (And if you're an eager fan interested in helping the band score another hit single, check out this article from their official site and call your local radio station many times each day.)
Could we see They Might Be Giants break their typical two-year wait between albums and offer a full studio record soon? Here's hoping so. The few new studio tracks that are on Severe Tire Damage tease the listener like a three dollar whore, promising a new full creative effort from Them but providing only a few cheap thrills. STD is the perfect gift choice for the neophyte TMBG fan, but those who've followed the band for some time will find themselves only craving more new music from the Twin Quasars of Rock.