The World Is to Dig

Forty years after their self-titled debut, They Might Be Giants are just as dedicated to making sharply observed songs that roam the musical map on The World Is to Dig. Like They Might Be Giants, Dig artfully balances sure-fire pop and out-there experiments, kicking off the album with prime examples of both. "Back in LA" gets things off to a surreal start, evoking a jetlag of the soul with enigmatic strings and bewildering lyrics ("Im gonna replace my brain with a chrome raccoon/Like they did in that movie Chrome Raccoon"). By contrast, "Wu-Tang"s winsome jangle is a hooky homage to the legendary rap group that only John Flansburgh and John Linnell could deliver. They Might Be Giants abiding passion for music comes through loud and clear on this song and the excellent version of the Raspberries "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," where they make the songs gooey power pop harmonies and sincere irony their own. In turn, "Hit the Ground"s vintage soul homage makes it sound like a cover -- or, at least, a song worthy of being covered. Somehow, Linnell, Flansburgh, and company sound even more revitalized on The World Is to Dig than they did on 2021s Grammy-nominated Book. Its noteworthy that they started writing these songs before Books release, but spent years refining them and making them more uptempo. They Might Be Giants have mental and physical energy to burn on "Outside Brain," an action sequence of a song that moves "from a jumpscare/to a catwalk" over spring-loaded guitars; on the imperative funk of "Get Down"; and on "Character Flaw," which punctuates its self-loathing ("here comes my flaming crazy") with exclamation point brass. Many of the albums standouts transform Books feelings of overwhelm into absurdist fun that reflects Flansburgh and Linnells undying creative chemistry. With "New Wave Will Never Die" and "Garbage In," Flansburgh delivers more of the cryptically witty, parallel-universe Tin Pan Alley fare hes specialized in since the days of "Ill Sink Manhattan." Linnells gift for quirky details that lead to surprising epiphanies shines on "Thats What You Get"s tightly structured thoughts on the great unknown and on "Slow," which conveys the dissolution of time with brilliantly mind-bending microtones. Though its not quite like anything the band has done before, its a fine example of the wit and craft that keeps their music fresh. Not many musical acts reach their 40th anniversaries and fewer still make music worthy of their legacies, but with The World Is to Dig, They Might Be Giants remain wonderfully different. ~ Heather Phares