REVIEW: John Linnell, State State Songs Volume 1 (Zoe)
- Chelsea Spear
As one-half of the jubilant They Might Be Giants, John Linnell occasionally comes off as the cool teacher we wish we had -- smart, accessible, and blessed with a good sense of humour without becoming the village idiot of teachers. Previous They Might Be Giants albums have featured melodic bites with educational information baked deep inside, such as the bouncing and historically accurate "Meet James Ensor", or have even featured covers of songs from educational films, like "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" and "Why Does the Sun Shine? (The Sun is a Mass of Incandescent Gas)". Thus, it should come as no surprise that Linnell's solo debut is as joyful, contagiously catchy, and geographically correct as State Songs (Volume 1).
Okay, so maybe the lyrics to the ditties on State Songs aren't *quite* the states you learned about in geography. Within the amusingly conspiratorial world Linnell invents, West Virginia is concentric in shape and contains a second West Virginia within its folds, Oregon is an evil force to be stopped at all costs, Montana is a leg, and Mississippi is ruled by two leaders, the Governor and his nemesis, the Anti-Governor. Occasionally, trivial but factual information, such as state flowers, birds, and coins crop up in the lyrics. The subject matter serves as a rack for Linnell to hang his witty and off-the-wall observations on.
The musical context for this revisionist look at America is possibly one of the most intriguing and experimental sets of songs Linnell has written since TMBG's Apollo 18. State Songs finds Linnell working with new instrumentation (like the pipe organ that graces the opening track, "Illinois"), new instruments to duet (such as the violin/accordion duet "Pennsylvania"), and some out-there ideas new to the TMBG ultraverse (such as the interesting but overlong album capper, "Nevada", which devolves into a musique concrete collage). Fans of older TMBG material should find plenty to like within State Songs -- the mod shimmy of "West Virginia" recalls John Flansburgh's contributions to the Austin Powers soundtrack, and the bobbing-and-weaving melody found within "Montana" is sure to incite fits of pogoing at live shows.
In spite of its geographical incorrectness, State Songs, Vol. 1 is sure to bring happiness to discerning music fans everywhere. In keeping with TMBG's spirit of making a good beginner band to those new to good music, State Songs features some auditory experiments and tried-and-true elements that should especially speak to the twelve-year-old geography student within all our midsts.
