They Might Be Giants, an alternative rock band formed in 1982, released their new album “The World Is To Dig” on April 14. It features 18 songs and will be their 24th studio album.
To excite fans for the release of “The World Is To Dig,” TMBG released a four track EP titled “Eyeball” on January 15. The songs on the EP included “Eyeball,” “The Glamour of Rock,” “Peggy Guggenheim” and “Eyeball (Elegant Too Remix).” The Elegant Too, a DJ duo that last remixed for the band with their release of “Mink Car” in 2001, returned for this EP.
TMBG has also been releasing tracks from their “The World Is To Dig” over the past couple of weeks. The first song they released as a single was “Wu-Tang,” which references the rock band Wu-Tang and is told from the perspective of a fan who is obsessed with said band. John Linnell stated he drew inspiration for the tune after watching a documentary about the band, which he revealed on the podcast “Office Hours Live.”
“Sleep’s Older Sister” came out as the second preview track on March 3, which was simultaneously released with a corresponding music video on TMBG’s YouTube, Particle Men. The video consisted of a gloomy looking forest, likely highlighting the darker tones of the song. Fans speculate that “sleep’s older sister” is death.
“Outside Brain” was released on March 16. “Outside Brain” also had a music video uploaded to the band’s YouTube channel, which features videos of cities in the background and lyrics popping up on screen from time to time. The theme and tone of the song is a bit tense, as the speaker appears to be describing his panic and mania, especially because he keeps getting exposed to bad news.
Their most recent tease was a cover of a song called “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)” by the Raspberries, in which TMBG features the Mesopotamians from their album “The Else.” This too received a music video, which was animated by David Cowles. The art makes several references to the Beatles, in particular the art style used in “Yellow Submarine.”
John Flansburgh has discussed in several interviews, including the duo’s appearance on the “Earwax” podcast and “Office Hours Live,” that the title of the album is a reference to “A Hole Is To Dig” authored by Ruth Krauss. The album art features a periodical art piece of the Yosemite Valley, painted by an anonymous artist.
“The World Is To Dig” will be available on CD, vinyl, cassettes, download or on streaming websites. The vinyl will come in a multitude of different colors, such as black, translucent red, a retail-exclusive mustard-yellow color for record stores and a special clear pressing for IFC 2024 members. The band announced on their Instagram page that they will be performing the album’s songs on their upcoming tour to promote its release.
