Are they daft? Or clever-clever? (Lincoln - They Might Be Giants)

Member Name: cswann

Product:	Lincoln - They Might Be Giants
Date:	14/11/00 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great, catchy pop

Disadvantages: Maybe a little TOO varied in style

They Might Be Giants' college rock geeky style (a tradition carried on by Barenaked Ladies and Weezer) may annoy some, as being a bit clever-clever, but I love them.
This, the second album from duo John Linnell and John Flansburgh was a top selling indie album in the US, but it wasn't really until the next album, "Flood" was released that TMBG became big in the UK.
On balance, I prefer "Flood" to "Lincoln", but I still enjoy listening to this album very much.

"Ana Ng" is a very strange song, which has many mind-blowing ideas in it, mixed up tenses ("Listen Ana hear my words they're the ones you would think I would say if there was a me for you") - it's either about a future lover, or about parallel worlds, or? one to get you started off on other philosophical tangents.
"Purple toupee" is the absolute highlight for me just a daft song, this time, no hidden meanings - all with some really quite powerful guitars, and Beach Boy type harmonies.
Similarly, "Santa's beard" has a 60's vocal band sound (maybe more the Beatles than the Beach Boys this time), plus a ridiculous story.
"I've got a match" is a song that seems, on the face of it, as though it could almost be a serious song, but then you realise that there's some interesting wordplay going on: "I've got a match / your embrace with my collapse" are the lyrics on the lyric sheet, but they could have a different meaning when you just hear them. And how about this for a confounding lyric:
"which one of us is the one that we can't trust?
You say I think it's you but I don't agree with that"

"You'll miss me" sounds like Tom Waits has got together with Beck (who was probably still wearing shorts when this was released) - it's truly inspired, but so very nearly sounds awful. So whether I like this track or
not depends on what kind of a mood I'm in.
Musical there are a variety of styles (sea shanty on "Cowtown", Cuban cha-cha-cha on "The world's address"), and it may be because of the accordian (or harmonium?) that's featured so strongly, but overall, the album reminds me of fairgrounds, comedy skits at a school end of term party, good happy things?

Summary: