Customer Reviews

Indestructible Object

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the 2 1/2 years or so since their last rock album (2001's Mink Car), most of the output by alternative-pop duo They Might Be Giants has been either of a retrospective nature (2002's Dial-A-Song anthology) or of a specifically family-friendly nature (2002's NO! album, the 2003 children's book Bed Bed Bed). Bandmates John Flansburgh and John Linnell get back to the business of rocking, however tentatively, on the new 5-track EP Indestructible Object; at the very least, it's just a stopgap until they release their next rock album. (Yes, they're currently working on one that they hope to put out this summer.) At its best, though, this 5-song sampler gives you a taste of what else John & John have been up to lately, besides the kids' stuff, and it hints at their growing maturity.

Track 1, "Am I Awake?", is the theme song that the Johns wrote and recorded last year for the Learning Channel documentary series "Resident Life". The cold, ominous techno-pop instrumentation and keyboard/accordion player Linnell's deadpan, craggy twang are perfectly suited to the befuddled musings of the lyrics, which may well be written from the viewpoints of the sleep-deprived medical interns featured on the show. ("When I get through this part, will the next one be the same? Will I be wondering if I'm awake?")

Two of the EP's tracks feature TMBG's Other Thing, a small brass ensemble with whom the Johns have performed a number of shows in the past year. Track 4 is a radical reworking of the song "Ant", which was originally recorded as a B-side on the Johns' 1990 EP Istanbul (Not Constantinople). The lyrics are about how a seemingly small problem can spin out of control when ignored, and this message is underscored very well by the new arrangement -- with each verse, bespectacled guitarist Flansburgh raises the pitch and volume of his voice, and the instrumentation becomes increasingly busy. (Dig the "Hail to the Chief" refs during the third verse.) Track 5, a cover of the Beach Boys' 1966 classic "Caroline, No", was performed live on the National Public Radio program "Studio 360" in July of 2003; Flansy's vocal is unabashedly raw and emotional, and he does a beautiful job of communicating the despair and regret of the lyrics.

The new EP's remaining two tracks are refreshing slices of grown-up pop-rock that bode well for TMBG's next album. The jazzy, bouncy "Au Contraire", in which Linnell pokes gentle fun at the sacred cows of history (president Franklin Roosevelt, composer J.S. Bach, Mahatma Gandhi) and pop culture (David Bowie, Jodie Foster), is very funny and cute. Even more promising is the lush, pretty "Memo to Human Resources", in which Flansburgh takes on the voice of a frustrated white-collar drone who's contemplating suicide; Flansy sings a vulnerable lead, Linnell supplies sympathetic harmonies, and the soft-rock-meets-country arrangement offsets the bleak lyrics ("I'd be shouting out to you, but I was mighty hoarse... [I'd] talk you through the finer points and issues much too small to force. Then the people came to talk me down...") nicely.

In the liner notes to their 1997 compilation Then: The Earlier Years, the Johns explained that from the beginning, they saw the EP form not as "a kind of musical land-fill", but as "a useful venue for material that might have a hard time fitting into an album sequence." Indestructible Object is no exception, and fans of TMBG should definitely check it out. (Non-fans and Flansy-haters, however, may not have much use for it.)

First, I'd like to point out that EPs are supposed to be short. Second, I'd like to point out that this is a great one. Not a single song on this EP is lacking, and it gives us a serious look into the direction that their sound is going. It gives you also a great sampling of their latest album with "Au Contraire" and "Memo to Human Resources". This is a fun CD to have, especially if you're a TMBG fanatic like me. Don't expect an hour-long venture, however, because that's not what this is.

1. Am I Awake- 5/5 (#1 song of the album)

2. Memo To Human Resources- 5/5

3. Au Contraire- 4/5

4. Ant- 4/5

5. Caroline, No- 4/5

Yes, Indestructible Object is, at best, a tease, a way for TMBG to try to get advance interest for their new album The Spine (two of this EP's five tracks are going to appear on The Spine). Is this good or bad?

Well, the best thing you can say about this EP is that it doesn't have a bad track on it. "Am I Awake?" is a creepy, drum-laced track featuring braintwisting lyrics showcasing how your mind works after going without sleep for too long ("The coffee's cold / Did I forget to drink it yet? / Did I forget? / My clothes are wet / I don't remember drinking it"). The similarly strong "Memo to Human Resources," though a bit ambling in its song structure, manages to sum up workplace angst and depression perfectly.

"Au Contraire," in comparison to the first two tracks, is a TMBG fan-favorite, a nice piece of nonsense that, while lyrically lacking, is still rather fun (especially for having the nerve to call David Bowie "Dave" or showcase Jodie Foster, Bach, and Gandhi playing cards together). "Ant" is another favorite that gets a serious reworking. The lyrics are the same (a parable about how sleeping on small problems turns them into rather big ones), but the composition is starkly different, turning the original's quiet guitar strumming into a wild horn freakout. The only somewhat weak track on the album is TMBG's cover of the Pet Sounds classic "Caroline, No," which, while faithful to the original, just isn't TMBG enough to make it more than a novelty at best.

With all the praise I'm throwing around up above, why do I only give it three stars? As I mentioned above, this EP is a tease. It's much too short and leaves you craving for more when it's finished. Of course, given that The Spine is set to be released July 13, maybe this is what the band intended on.

This mini-album is worth it just for the cover of the Beach Boys tune on track five. The first two tracks are 100% pure quality TMBG. Tracks three and four stood out as a tad too silly in comparison to the other three tracks on the album, but are also good, even if a touch out-of-place among the others. A must-have for the unique tracks and well-priced for the limited running time.

I found the EP to be one of the best recording i've listened to in a while in only 5 songs. The newer, origional music ("memo to human resources" and "au contraire") are hopefully a hint of what to come on the upcoming album "the spine". Au contraire is one of the catchiest songs i've heard in a while. While 'memo' is strangely reminicent of 'end of the tour' in how its message slowly grows on you. The growth of the johns as musicians is very evident in this recording and i hope the new album is even better.

As has been previously said,

1. Au Contraire: Good song
2. Memo to Human Resources: Good song
3. Ant: Previously released on the Istanbul (Not Constantinople) single, but reworked, more jazzy instrumentation, outrageous solo at the end, with Hail To The Chief added in the President line, and some different lyrics. Can be heard mostly on Gigantic.
4. Caroline, No: Good song
5. Am I Awake?: Good song

Overall value: 4 new songs and one reworking make this worth the price of admission.

They Might Be Giant's latest EP, "Indestructible Object", is a wonderful CD, with two shortcomings: number one, it's way too short - 12 minutes, to be precise, and this shortcoming is compounded by how good the CD is; it really leaves you wanting more of TMBG's maturing sound. Which leads me to the second shortcoming, namely, that this will probably be the only new release John and John offer up in 2004. But as for the songs themselves, they're all terrific. "Am I Awake" invokes the same electronic sound that worked so wonderfully in "Man It's So Loud In Here" (on the Mink Car LP). "Memo", "Au Contraire" and "Ant" are all classic weirdo-indie rock, and the Beach Boy cover "Caroline, No" is actually quite lovely. This EP demonstrates tremendous promise for the next full release; the John's seem to have the kiddie-rock vibe out of their system following "No!" and "Bed, Bed, Bed" -- not that those aren't both very enjoyable CD's, but the older crowds will appreciate this one a little more.
If you're a fan.. you need this one.

its an awesome ep!

am i awake is the best tmbg song in a long time!

am i awake?-5/5

memo to human resources-5/5

au contraire-5/5

ant-5/5

caroline,no-4/5

I love this EP because it mixes electronic artsiness with their usual geek-rock-alternapop and appreciation for popular classics such as "Caroline, no" This is a good stop gap release from the band and one that most won't mind getting because it contains exclusive tracks.

After listening to this EP about four times, I have totally fallen in love with all five songs. "Au Contraire" is definately my favorite; it has this totally new jazzy feel to it making much different than the version they have played live. Really, it is totally worth the $5 and I would recommend it to any fan of good music. The best part of "Indestructible Object" is that it gives us a taste of what TMBG's new LP entitled "The Spine" will be like, due out in the next few months. I can safely say that we can all look foward to a classic!