Album Review: They Might Be Giants - 'Nanobots'

Don't worry, you are not the only one who thought the They Might Be Giants story started and ended with Dr. Worm. You will probably be extremely surprised to know the band, who formed way back in 1982, have seventeen albums, some of which are children's albums. Pretty random, but seriously, listen to Dr. Worm, we're not really that far off The Wiggles.

Knowing the fact about the children's albums thing makes listening to the group's new record 'Nanobots' quite interesting, as opening track 'You're On Fire' comes across as a funky little indie track led by those notable Dr. Worm vocal chords, but second and title track seems as though the band are trying to pass off their pre-school writing talents as songs for adults.

It's hard to take a band seriously that write poppy numbers about doing Karate, or ballads about Black-Ops, but that has probably always been the point with They Might Be Giants. If you were to add a whole bunch of sugar to Weezer, then this is what you would get. The end result however, after twenty-five tracks, is near insanity. Some songs go for as short as six seconds and the playlist is as random as hell. Take for example 'Insect Hospital,' which is of course about walking down to the insect hospital to set all of the insects free, explained in a minute and a half.

Sometimes, the weirdness gets freaky, like 'The Darlings Of Lumberland,' a creepy song that is reminiscent of the oompa loompa theme, just scarier. The horn section is kept to a minimum incorporating synths and keys every now and then, but the main drivers are just your standard guitar, bass, drum and vocal. Every now and then a sad number, which one can safely assume is the brief come down, pops its head up, like the jazz influenced 'Replicant,' driven by bass, snare rolls and a Roland piano but for the most part, everything is shiny and bright in the Giants world.

It is hard to say if this quirky and comical indie pop will ever be as popular as it was in the 90's, one things is certain however, the drugs that They Might Be Giants must be on to create this random trip circus of a record, would be preventing them from caring.

1. You're on Fire

2. Nanobots

3. Black Ops

4. Lost My Mind

5. Circular Karate Chop

6. Call You Mom

7. Tesla

8. Sleep

9. Stone Cold Coup d'Etat

10. Sometimes a Lonely Way

11. Destroy the Past

12. 9 Secret Steps

13. Hive Mind

14. Decision Makers

15. Nouns

16. There

17. Insect Hospital

18. Tick

19. Replicant

20. The Darlings of Lumberland

21. Great

22. Stuff Is Way

23. Icky

24. Too Tall Girl

25. Didn't Kill Me