SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS – EYEBALL

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
EYEBALL
IDLEWILD RECORDINGS

They Might Be Giants are back with a new EP, which is in fact a taster if you will of a forthcoming album. However, even if this was just a standalone EP, it is well worth your time. All three tracks (the title track appears twice, once in a remix version) are superb. They Might Be Giants never disappoint, but with Eyeball, they exceed all expectations. As usual, these songs are catchy, well crafted, well produced and well performed. In short, three fantastic pop-rock songs. John Flansburgh and John Linnell have been making music since 1986, and Eyeball is the perfect way to celebrate their 40th anniversary as it has trademarks of classic They Might Be Giants and one step going forward.

The EP opens with the title track, “Eyeball. The song itself is absolutely brilliant. “Someone’s got control of my mind/Nothing that I do is my responsibility” the song and EP begin. So you know we can expect some wry observations of life. As per usual, the song is humorous and needs several spins to fully appreciate it. The remix is somewhat more sparse and makes for interesting comparisons.

Elsewhere, we get songs about the art collector Peggy Guggenheim (titled, “Peggy Guggenheim”) and the joys of being a rock star (the very funny “The Glamour of Rock”). Both songs fit nicely with the title track, making the EP its own distinct entity. The two Johns write songs that instantly settle in the listener’s brain and stay put. There are far too many examples over the past 40 years, but here they do it again. Of course, with help from other players, they flush out their music, and each song is like a short musical explosion.

They Might Be Giants are planning an album for the spring and have scheduled a tour (no Canadian dates have been noted yet). It is not known how many of the songs from Eyeball will be on the album, if any, but the EP does provide the evidence of whatever shape the album takes, it is something to look forward to. They Might Be Giants are a band that has consistently released incredibly great albums for adults and kids. And with Eyeball, they prove, yet again, that they are nowhere near short of ideas for music and lyrics.

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