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For the last few years, alternative rockers They Might Be Giants have been focusing on a younger audience, releasing fun-filled (and deceptively smart) kids’ albums like 2008’s Here Come the 123s and 2009’s Here Comes Science. But while grown-up fans have been content to rock out to kid-friendly songs like the ridiculously catchy “Seven Days of the Week (I Never Go to Work)” for a few years, it’s nice to have a new album all our own: Join Us.
TMBG’s latest adult album is 18 tracks of pure cheeky, geeky goodness. The songs are super-short (only two of them are more than three minutes long), with witty lyrics and catchy, upbeat tunes that are sure to put a smile on your face, no matter how bad your day may be. These are the kind of songs that you’ll listen to over and over again—not just because they’ll make you feel so ridiculously cheery but also because the lyrics are so clever that you’ll catch something new each time you play them.
The album opens with the perfect first track (which also happens to be the album’s first single). “Can’t Keep Johnny Down” is a catchy, up-tempo tune that feels like classic TMBG—only with a bigger, bolder sound replacing the simple accordion and drum machine of the band’s early days. It doesn’t matter how you’re feeling when you hit play on this one; it’s an instant mood-changer. Not only is it a great way to start your day, but it’s also just the thing to help you cope with irritating coworkers and those idiot drivers on your daily commute—so I recommend keeping the track ready at all times.
Then again, if you’re in an even darker mood, try “When Will You Die,” a surprisingly hateful song that still manages to sound absolutely, hilariously cheery. It’s the kind of song that you can turn to on days when a friend stabs you in the back or your evil boss makes you work late again or your neighbor kicks your dog—because it’s guaranteed to make you start laughing in 30 seconds or less (somewhere around the first appearance of the lines “You’re insane / You are bad / You wreck everything you touch / And you’re a sociopath”).
From love songs and hate songs to wonderfully kooky carnival-style tracks and bold songs with surprising touches of disco, They Might Be Giants’s Join Us has it all. It’s witty and wacky. It’s folksy and futuristic. And it’s the very best kind of geek chic. Whether you’re just starting your day or you’re having drinks with friends on a Friday night, it’s a great go-to album.
