Here Come the ABC's

Performer: They Might Be Giants
Producer: They Might Be Giants; Pat Dillett
Distributor: Allegro Corporation (Dist

Notes: This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. They Might Be Giants: John Flansburgh, John Linnell. Additional personnel: Marty Beller (vocals, drums); Robin "Goldie" Goldwasser, Henry Linelli, Desi Tomaselli (vocals); Dan Miller (guitar); Mark "Loveman" Pender (trumpet); Dan Levine (trombone, tuba); Patrick Dillett (keyboards); Danny Weinkauf (bass guitar). Critics may laud They Might Be Giants' knack for ingenious pop hooks and nimble, brainy wordplay (and those things are certainly true), but another aspect of their appeal is that their music is so fun and goofy it can make the listener feel like a kid. It is no surprise then that Giants John Flansburgh and John Linnell are naturals at making recordings for children (see their excellent release NO!). HERE COME THE ABCS, released on Disney's label, bears all the giddy hallmarks of TMBG's best work. As the title intimates, HERE COME THE ABCS is about the alphabet. The album-length conceit spins the 26 letters through the Johns' wacky imagination, anthropomorphizing them ("E Eats Everything"), using them to illustrate geography ("Alphabet of Nations"), and even pitting them against each other ("D & W"). As usual with the Giants, there are games galore ("Can You Find It?"), interesting philosophical questions ("Who Put the Alphabet in Alphabetical Order?"), and a kaleidoscope of musical styles, including Beatlesque psych-pop ("Pictures of Pandas Painting"), twangy country ("Fake-Believe"), and funky indie-rock (the aforementioned "E Eats Everything"). HERE COME THE ABCS is ingenious, weird, silly, and great fun for playful kids and adults.

John Flansburgh and John Linnell, the two singer/songwriters behind Brooklyn avant-pop cult band They Might Be Giants, were childhood friends who have been working under the TMBG banner since the '80s. The words "nerdy," "geek-rock," and "quirky" have been applied to their melodic, humor-filled songs so often there should be a cross-reference in the dictionary. Over their numerous albums with and without backing musicians (in the early days they used a drum machine) they've offered songs about the most unlikely subjects imaginable, from Belgian painter James Ensor to famed cinematic costume designer Edith Head. Their masterful songcraft is such that they've long maintained a healthy audience for their idiosyncratic sound.

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