They Might Be Giants - Here Comes Science reviews
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| Allmusic |
 Any inkling that They Might Be Giants had a future in crafting educational kids' songs came with 1994's "Why Does the Sun Shine?," so it's only fitting that after Here Come the ABC's and Here Come the 123's' success, John Linnell and John Flansburgh return to the subject that started it all: science. Here Comes Science covers everything from astronomy to evolution, mixing time-tested facts like the color spectrum with newer frontiers like electric cars. These songs are aimed at a slightly older audience than They Might Be Giants' previous Here Come... albums, since concepts like DNA are considerably more complicated than letters or numbers. At times, this complexity feels like it hinders the band's musical creativity a bit. Though the band sticks mostly to charging rock, a few songs are more expressive: "Cells" uses layering and repetition to wittily depict cellular reproduction; "Solid Liquid Gas" communicates different states of matter with its tempo, moving from lumbering to swinging to frenetic; and "Speed and Velocity" breezes through basic physics with aerodynamic new wave. Here Comes Science also spends nearly as much time with the thought process behind scientific developments as it does with facts, and puts importance on teaching kids how to think: "Put It to the Test" is as much about thinking for yourself as it is about the scientific method. A punk-poppy reprise of "Why Does the Sun Shine?" is followed by the jazzy "Why Does the Sun Really Shine?," which introduces plasma as the fourth state of matter and refutes the previous song's science cleverly: "Not gas, not liquid, not solid/That thesis has been rendered invalid!" The album also finds fun in science-related jobs; few things appeal to kids as much as dirt, digging, and dinosaurs, and "I Am a Paleontologist" has all three. The DVD portion is charming, with standout videos by Feel Good Anyway ("Meet the Elements"), Divya Srinivasan ("The Bloodmobile"), and Pascal Campion ("What Is a Shooting Star?"). Here Comes Science closes with "The Ballad of Davy Crockett (In Outer Space)," a space age update of Fess Parker's classic theme song that adds a little science fiction to these playfully presented facts. Here Comes Science is another fun, educational triumph....full text |
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| Popmatters |
They Might Be Giants first turned their always-catchy genre-hopping songwriting skills towards children on 2002’s No! To the band’s surprise, the album was wildly successful. This led to a (presumably lucrative) deal with kids’ music juggernaut Disney Sound, which got them better distribution and more exposure in the right places, particularly Playhouse Disney. They even won a Grammy for Best Musical Album for Children for 2008’s Here Comes the 123’s. But despite the accolades, 123’s and its predecessor, Here Comes the ABC’s, were frustrating listens for longtime adult fans of the band. The subject matter of both albums seemed to be a bit too limiting, setting their sights on the very young three-to-six age group. Great for small children, but not necessarily great for kids of all ages.
Which brings us to Here Comes Science. Listening to this album is something like consuming auditory candy for your brain. They Might Be Giants have always done songs about science, from their cover of ‘60s educational record “Why Does the Sun Shine” to 1992’s “Mammal” to several songs written for ABC’s 1999 summer science series Brave New World. Plus science is a broad enough subject to give the band leeway to do pretty much whatever they want while still hitting the major elementary school topics. The result is that the album allows the band’s considerable songcraft to combine with their geeky tendencies in a way that feels perfectly natural....full text |
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| Billboard |
| Plenty has been said about how well They Might Be Giants' playful, absurdist rock translates to kids' music-and the band's fourth offspring-focused effort is no exception. What the CD/ DVD "Here Comes Science" offers-compared with the act's previous alphabet- and numbers-focused educational albums-is more sophisticated content aimed toward older children, so things like the scientific method and photosynthesis are subject to TMBG founders John Linnell and John Flansburgh's famous imaginations and melodic quirk. There's also a pro-evolution bent to the set, with the topic popping up on two tracks, but even this has broader nuance-the synth-pop song "My Brother the Ape" is about an interspecies family reunion where the protagonist is initially uncomfortable about the differences among his kin but learns to love their idiosyncrasies. Songwriting and vocal contributions from bassist Danny Wienkauf, drummer Marty Beller and singer Robin Goldwasser add to the stylistic variety. --Evie Nagy...full text |
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