Lincoln cover
Released

Lincoln is probably the best place to start if you want to get a sense of They Might Be Giants. While various aspects of the band’s sound have shifted over time, the basic — I don’t want to say “formula,” but, well, formula — has stayed the same: incredibly hooky and inventive music and unbelievably oddball (but tremendously clever and often hilarious) lyrics. At a very real level, They Might Be Giants are a novelty band — but one with the depth and chops necessary to achieve global popularity. On Lincoln, highlights include “Ana Ng” and the third-person breakup song “They’ll Need a Crane,” but the whole thing is a blast.

Rick Anderson

Recommended by

Suggestions
Evergreen cover

Evergreen

Soccer Mommy
What Hits!? cover

What Hits!?

Red Hot Chili Peppers
Dirty Pictures, Pt. 1 cover

Dirty Pictures, Pt. 1

Low Cut Connie, Bernard Kruysen
Tim cover

Tim

The Replacements
Babelsberg cover

Babelsberg

Gruff Rhys
May Death Never Stop You cover

May Death Never Stop You

My Chemical Romance
Wake Up! cover

Wake Up!

The Boo Radleys