Brooklyn legends They Might Be Giants are back with their first full-length album since the Grammy-nominated BOOK (2021), and it does not disappoint. The World Is to Dig — an 18-song collection that blends the band's signature sharp songwriting with bold experimentation — is out now on all streaming platforms and physical formats at TMBGshop.com. If you want the exclusive 180-gram color vinyl, that's available at indie retail shops now too.
The latest single, "Outside Brain," is exactly the kind of track that reminds you why TMBG have been doing this for 40+ years and still sound like no one else. John Flansburgh described it best himself:
"'Outside Brain' is about mania and panic, and is as much about the feelings of those twisted emotions as it is about any real storytelling in the lyrics. I was trying to capture that nightmare fear of being chased or running away from something... I'm a fan of the Bobby Fuller Four, and I feel like we captured a piece of their very rare vibe in this track."
The result is thunderous — Flansburgh's smooth vocal delivery unraveling a lyrical panic attack over Dan Miller's rip-curl guitar and Danny Weinkauf's fluid bass lines, with Marty Beller's relentless drumming building claustrophobia in all the right ways. It's anxious and propulsive and weirdly fun. Very TMBG.
The World Is to Dig Tracklist:
Back in Los Angeles · Wu-Tang · Sleep's Older Sister · Je N'en Ai Pas · Outside Brain · Let's Fall in Lava · Telescope · Garbage In · Get Down · New Wave Will Never Die · Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) · Character Flaw · Hit The Ground · What You Get · Slow · In the Dead Mall · What the Cat Dragged In · They Might Be Feral
On top of the new record, TMBG are in the middle of THE BIGGER SHOW TOUR — multi-night stands in Indianapolis, Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Boston running through June. The format is an "An Evening With" setup: no opener, the band spotlights a different album from their catalog each night in the first set, then digs deep into fan favorites in the second. Eight-piece band, three-piece horn section, and shows that are deliberately different night to night. Several dates are already sold out. Tickets here.
