Flood
They Might Be Giants - Flood

11/06/2024

My first introduction to They Might Be Giants was in 4th grade science class, where my teacher would play us some of their children's songs. As a late teen/young adult some of their songs had stuck out to me and had become some of my favorites. Recently I've been wanting to expand my music taste, and they seemed like a natural extension of music I've already enjoyed. I first listened to Lincoln a few months ago, and I enjoyed it enough to decide to listen to more of their stuff. Flood seemed like the natural next choice.

Flood is a great album. While many of the songs sound completely different from each other, it all fits together very well. My favorite elements are the unconventional instrumentals and the surrealist lyrics. Some of the songs seem completely nonsensical, while others deal with heavy themes like death. My standout songs are Birdhouse in Your Soul, Your Racist Friend, and Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love.

Song Reviews

Theme From Flood

I've never seen a theme song for an album before and I think it's very whimsical.

Birdhouse in Your Soul

Endlessly catchy song.

Lucky Ball & Chain

A continuation of a theme this band loves: failed relationships. I enjoy the elements of unreliable narration. The pre-chorus is especially catchy to me. The odd sounding instrumental break about a minute in is right up my alley.

Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Likely one of their most famous songs, despite not being originally by them. The only song on the album I knew before listening to the whole thing. Incredibly catchy, very little to not enjoy.

Dead

I love the unconventional narrative perspective. I like the use of the word "accidentally", implying that the narrator's death came too early. Even in death, they're still uncertain.

Your Racist Friend

I love that they don't obfuscate the point of this song. Especially enjoy the lyric "Can't shake the devil's hand and say you're only kidding". My only critique is the instrumental break about halfway through, just because I don't think it fits well with the rest of the song.

Particle Man

Fun catchy song, very vague lyrics.

Twisting

Another song about a failed relationship to an upbeat track.

We Want a Rock

This song transitions very well from the previous track. The imagery of a prosthetic forehead on a real head is very amusing to me. I love the critique of useless junk shilled out to the masses.

Someone Keeps Moving My Chair

I find this song catchy in an annoying way. Mr. Horrible is very relatable. You learn to tune out the actual shitty stuff that your bosses toss at you, but something small changing is what actually gets to you.

Hearing Aid

Perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being a low-paid employee that hates their job.

Minimum Wage

This song is what plays each morning when you're trapped in a Groundhog Day scenario but you don't even realize because your job just feels the same everyday anyways.

Letterbox

I love the stuttering effect.

Whistling in the Dark

The deep tone of the singer's voice makes it very fun to sing along to, and it matching the marching band quality of the instrumentals.

Hot Cha

Catchy song with interesting instrumentals.

Women & Men

It's fine.

Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love

Love the instrumentals in this song. I imagine the jingles as the titular sapphire bullets hitting their target.

They Might Be Giants

We've already got a theme song for the album, now here's one for the band itself. Great display of their unconventional sampling.

Road Movie to Berlin

Great ending track to the album. Truly sounds like saying goodbye.