They Might Be Giants haven’t really stopped since they started all those years ago. I Like Fun marks their 20th album release and they show no signs of stopping. It’s a good omen that I Like Fun was recorded in the same studio as their definitive album Flood. 2018 will also see the return of their famous Dial-A-Song which is due to launch soon after this release. I Like Fun stays true to the promise in the album’s title. It’s an album that’s refreshing, carefree and ultimately a very fun record to listen to.

The themes of I Like Fun are easy to call dour. The songs revolve around death, heartbreak and disappointment but the result isn’t a glum listen by any means. I Like Fun becomes a very refreshing experience and leaves the listener feeling almost renewed. The sense of fun in the music disguises the somewhat dark lyrical content, which gives the album a very positive outlook. Like saying we’re all going down but it’ll be OK.

For a band that have been on the go for roughly 30 years they sound fresh and full of enthusiasm almost like a band just starting out. I Like Fun has a bright spark embedded in its songwriting. ‘Let’s Get This Over With’ opens the album and spells out a carefree attitude that can be heard throughout the album. Having released so much material, their influences can become a little buried. They sound like, well, themselves. There’s their familiar quirky charm which seems to be on tap for TMBG.

I Like Fun varies quite a bit from song to song. From the opener, which is a jaunty piano-led number, to ‘An Insult To The Fact Checkers’ which sounds like it could be a Sonic Youth song and ‘Lake Monsters’ which tries to throw you off with synthesisers. Each time they play a new hand it works and there aren’t many bad moves on the album.

There’s something about the chord structures which make them feel like chartable pop songs. The way ‘Push Back the Hands’ progresses has a very classic pop feel to it. There’s loads of songs with this DNA in them. It’s flirting between being a pop album and a rock album though, the pop on it definitely outweighs the rock influences. Part of its charm is in not consistently doing one thing but on the downside that doesn’t give the album the best staying power. I Like Fun varies a lot which can keep the album sounding fresh and each new track will prick up your ears again but all the different sounds and shapes don’t leave a huge dent on the listener.

There are many good songs on I Like Fun and for the most part the album’s pretty consistent. There isn’t anything that’s exceptional however or a song that particularly strikes me as being a standout. I Like Fun‘s enjoyment comes from experiencing it as an album, as I’m sure many will. It’s not an album full of singles but the album stands on its own two feet and I’m sure fans of TMBG will be satisfied.

The way I Like Fun flows it almost feels like it’s over too soon. It’s a 15 track album that gets it all done in what seems like half an hour. None of the songs outstay their welcome and there isn’t any over indulgence on the album. It’s a very modest release, it’s an album that welcomes you but doesn’t insist on pushing you in. It’s a very polite album and this is partly what makes it so enjoyable. At this point TMBG can just be themselves and this shows on I Like Fun. It doesn’t try to be anything more than the sum of its parts and I think that’s exactly what their fans love about them.

Chris Middleton

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