Glean is the 17th studio album from New York City-based alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The songs included are taken from their Dial-a-Song project, which saw the band releasing one new song a week at dialasong.com.

If, like me, you remember They Might Be Giants predominately for their hit single 'Birdhouse in Your Soul' (taken from their 1990 album Flood) and pretty much nothing else... then you'll be surprised to learn that this is the band's 17th studio album. For some reason, I thought they'd vanished in the '90s and, at first, thought this was going to be one of those albums where an old band, that momentarily caught a glimpse at fame, tries to relaunch themselves on the goodwill of some one hit wonder.

I couldn't have been further from the truth. From the opening track on Glean, you'll be transported back to time in your life when bands could make you smile just by their weird lyrics and unique quirky vocals.

As track after track sailed by, I realised that They Might Be Giants should, in all fairness, have become giants in the '90s indie scene and while they still have a cult following, they deserve to be front and centre in the limelight once again.

The album contains 15 tracks (39 min, 01 sec) and sees them explore everything from to dance hall swing ('Let Me Tell You About My Operation').

Notable tracks include the opening 'Erase'; 'Underwater Woman'; 'End of the Rope'; 'Unpronounceable'; and the catchy and amusing 'Aaa'.

This is an incredibly well polished and diverse album. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to iTunes to pick up their back catalogue.

10

Nick Smithson