I Like Fun is the twentieth studio album from New York City-based alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, released on January 19, 2018.
| I Like Fun | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 19, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | April 2017 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 40:51 | |||
| Label | Idlewild | |||
| Producer | Pat Dillett, They Might Be Giants | |||
| They Might Be Giants chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 74/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [2] |
| Paste | 8.9/10[3] |
Background
editThe band began recording on April 3, 2017,[4] at Reservoir Studios (former site of Skyline Studios),[5] using the same studio space the band used to record Flood.[6] In October 2017, the band confirmed the album was scheduled to be released on January 19, 2018, along with the return of their Dial-A-Song service.[7]
The album's track listing was revealed on October 23, alongside an early download of the track "I Left My Body".[8]
Release
editBefore the release of the full album, three songs—one with a music video—were uploaded to YouTube, with uploads to iTunes following shortly afterward. The songs were, in order of release, "I Left My Body",[9] "Last Wave" (December 1, 2017),[10] and "All Time What" (January 3, 2018), the latter of which featured a video.[11]
I Like Fun was available for pre-release streaming on January 11, 2018.[12] The album was released physically and digitally on January 19, 2018.[13]
After the release of the full album, as part of Dial-A-Song 2018, They Might Be Giants continued to release videos for all but three of the songs. A music video for the title track "I Like Fun" was created by Canadian artist Joren Cull.[14][15]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by They Might Be Giants, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let's Get This Over With" | 3:07 | |
| 2. | "I Left My Body" | 2:36 | |
| 3. | "All Time What" | 2:29 | |
| 4. | "By the Time You Get This" | 2:17 | |
| 5. | "An Insult to the Fact Checkers" | 2:34 | |
| 6. | "Mrs. Bluebeard" | 2:43 | |
| 7. | "I Like Fun" | 3:00 | |
| 8. | "Push Back the Hands" | 3:00 | |
| 9. | "This Microphone" | 2:36 | |
| 10. | "The Bright Side" | 2:29 | |
| 11. | "When the Lights Come On" | 3:17 | |
| 12. | "Lake Monsters" | 2:56 | |
| 13. | "McCafferty's Bib" | 2:35 | |
| 14. | "The Greatest" | They Might Be Giants, Christopher Albert Anderson | 1:48 |
| 15. | "Last Wave" | 3:24 | |
| Total length: | 40:51 | ||
Personnel
editCredits adapted from CD liner notes.[16]
They Might Be Giants
- John Linnell – vocals, keyboards, woodwinds, etc.
- John Flansburgh – vocals, guitars, programming, etc.
Additional musicians
- Marty Beller – drums, percussion
- Danny Weinkauf – bass guitar
- Dan Miller – guitars
- Curt Ramm – trumpet (7, 15)
- Chris Anderson – Mellotron (14)
Technical
- Pat Dillett – producer, mixing
- They Might Be Giants – producers
- James Yost – engineer
- UE Nastasi – mastering
- Paul Sahre – design
- Joe Hollier – photography
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[17] | 108 |
References
edit- ^ "I Like Fun by They Might Be Giants Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic.
- ^ Phares, Heather. "They Might Be Giants - I Like Fun Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic.
- ^ Salmon, Ben (January 24, 2018). "They Might Be Giants: I Like Fun - Paste Magazine". Paste.
- ^ They Might Be Giants [@tmbg] (March 30, 2017). "We formally start recording our next album on Monday. Until then..." (Tweet). Retrieved January 12, 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ "ABOUT". reservoirstudiosnyc.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ "I Like Fun Download". They Might Be Giants. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ Reed, Ryan. "They Might Be Giants Preview New LP With Jovial Power-Pop Song". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 12, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ "I Like Fun - Album by They Might Be Giants - Apple Music". Apple Music. January 19, 2018. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ They Might Be Giants (October 23, 2017). They Might Be Giants - I Left My Body (Official Audio) (YouTube video). ParticleMen. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ^ They Might Be Giants (December 1, 2017). They Might Be Giants - Last Wave (Official Audio) (YouTube video). ParticleMen. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ^ They Might Be Giants (January 3, 2018). They Might Be Giants - All Time What (Official Video) (YouTube video). ParticleMen. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ^ Moon, Tom (January 11, 2018). "First Listen: They Might Be Giants, 'I Like Fun'". NPR. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ "I Like Fun - They Might Be Giants". Bandcamp. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Salisbury, Drew (January 17, 2018). "Video: They Might Be Giants – "I Like Fun"". Spin. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ They Might Be Giants (January 17, 2018). They Might Be Giants - I Like Fun (Official Video) (YouTube video). ParticleMen. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ They Might Be Giants (2018). I Like Fun (CD liner notes). Palisades, New York: Idlewild Recordings. IDLE 144.
- ^ "They Might Be Giants Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 30, 2018.