Artist: They Might Be Giants
Album: I Like Fun****
Over a three decade long career, They Might Be Giants have mastered the art of creating quirky pop songs, so it comes as no surprise that their latest album, I Like Fun, is yet another terrific collection of offbeat alternative rock ditties.
The soaring melodies belie the dark sentiments at the core of the lyrics, and the group’s unique, often absurd way of looking at things never fails to be impressive.
The Johns have death on their minds on tracks like ‘I Left My Body’ and ‘Last Wave’. The ironic ‘By the Time You Get This’ is told from the perspective of a narrator who lived long ago and is offering a bleak look at his present as well as hope that the world will be a much better place by 1937. Songs like ‘Let’s Get This Over With’ and ‘When the Lights Come On’ highlight just how effortlessly the group can make music that is both catchy and complex.
With all 15 tracks written primarily by They Might Be Giants and produced by the band with the help of Pat Dillett, I Like Fun is an irresistible invitation to explore They Might Be Giants’ quirky, sweet, dark, warm, cryptic, compelling world, and it’s a journey well worth taking.
Highlights: ‘Let’s Get This Over With’, ‘I Left My Body’, ‘The Microphone’, ‘When The Lights Come On’