John Linnell
State Songs
Rounder Records

It's easy to mistake State Songs for something educational. The CD's cover is cheerful, and low-key. The back is covered with the artistically arranged, colorful outlines of states. Except for the crufty Zoë Records label, the disc, at first inspection, is largely free of irony or non-pedagogical intent.

In reality, State Songs is nothing but a shrink-wrapped package of absurd, bouncy entertainment.

State Songs is the first solo effort of They Might Be Giants' John Linnell. Long the more quiet, approachable member of the duo, Linnell has brought along a bag of tricks that includes much of the best stuff associated with TMBG. A love of absurdity, obscure historical details and fluid wordplay mark the best tracks and make the entire album relatively enjoyable listening.

The album boasts some notable highlights. The jaunty, poplicious avalanche of "The Songs of the 50 States" sets the tone for the tracks to come, and is an electrifying throwback to the goofy, approachable style that marks so much of They Might Be Giants' early work . And for what it's worth, "Utah" and "Arkansas" are both hauntingly pleasant.

There can be little doubt, however, that "South Carolina" is the belle of the State Songs ball; this rollicking, eccentric track is as good as anything any pop musician has put together this year. From its topic (getting in a bicycle wreck, suing, and getting rich), to its pace (frantic) to its melodic qualities (ample saxophone, drums and guitar), "South Carolina" demands multiple replays.

Beyond Linnell's lickably good melodies and quirky instrumentation, something is often lacking; many of the tracks seem to have a strange lack of connection with actual human experience. While most of them provide some sort of spirited, jovial commentary on something, it sure ain't the human condition; if there's one thing this album lacks, it's emotional resonance. And, there's no doubt that cute can be taken to an extreme - some of the tracks take the "children's music for adults" thing a bit too far. In fact, "Michigan" and "Nevada" made this reviewer want to throw a shoe at the stereo.

There's no doubt that there's some interesting stuff afoot, however. Linnell's use of an honest-ta-gawd band organ gives many of the tracks a polychromatic, carnival feeling. And never before has a songwriter accused the state of Iowa of being a witch.

State Songs should be required listening for any fan of They Might Be Giants. Whether it's required buying is another matter altogether; it largely depends on what it was you got out of the band's music. Many of the absurdly charming qualities that made TMBG so much fun are still present, though the nuanced, philosophical cross-currents that made albums like John Henry and Lincoln so thoroughly listenable have largely gone missing.

To quote "The Songs of the 50 States":

I'm not going to say they're great,
I ain't gonna say they ain't.

— James Norton (jrnorton@flakmag.com)