Notes & Personnel Info |  | They Might Be Giants: John Flansburgh, John Linnell. | | The Band Of Dans: Dan Miller (guitar); Dan Weinkauf (bass); Dan Hickey (drums, percussion). | | Additional personnel includes: Mike Doughty (vocals); Garo Yellin (cello); Jim O'Connor (flugelhorn); Dan Levine (trombone); Guy Pratt (bass); Hearn Gadbois, Luis Jardim (percussion); Chris Maxwell, Phil Hernandez (programming). | | Producers include: Albert Caiati, Pt Dillett, Clive Lnager, Alan Winstanley, Adam Schlesinger. | | Engineers include: Jason Spittle, Cosmo Heidtman, TJ Doherty. | | When They Might Be Giants first appeared in the late '80s, it was hard to predict that the whimsical alt-rock duo would still be going strong over a dozen years later. However, MINK CAR stands as further proof of the band's staying power, mostly attributable to the endlessly inventive songcraft of Johns Linnell and Flansburgh. These days, the pair fleshes out the TMBG sound with a backing band that includes a couple of erstwhile members of the late, lamented Lincoln, the Chris Temple-headed band that logged a lot of road time with the Giants in the late '90s. | | In the manner of the surprise hit "Istanbul," there's a zany-sounding cover tune here, a funky take on Georgie Fame's "Yeh Yeh," but the Johns' own songs are clearly the centerpiece. "Man It's So Loud in Here" is a devilishly clever satire of dance music and club culture, appropriately set to a pounding dance beat. "Older" is an ironically ominous meditation on aging. Amid the tomfoolery, though, the Giants always manage to sneak in a couple of touching gems. In this case, the pure pop romance of "Another First Kiss" and the celebratory, misleadingly titled "Hopeless Bleak Despair" fill the bill, making MINK CAR a solid addition to the band's catalogue. |
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