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February 15, 2008 > Arts & Entertainment > Here Comes the 123s more than a 10

Here Comes the 123s more than a 10

By Julie Armstrong | For the Thresher

The new children’s album by alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants, Here Come The 123s, is not meant to be ironically good. Co-produced by Disney like its gold-record predecessor Here Come the ABCs, this edu-tainment installment provides a hip, cohesive and poppy collection of twenty-four largely upbeat songs that appeal to more than elementary school tots.

Arriving shortly after the band’s 2007 adult rock release, The Else, Here Come the 123s follows in the imaginative style that John Flansburgh and John Linnell established back in 1982, only with much simpler songs. Rich in harmony and quirky instrumentation, they move sequentially to cover the numbers one through ten before branching into mathematical concepts such even numbers. The album finishes with a few less numerically-oriented songs, such as the band’s theme song for The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, a reinterpretation of the original Mickey Mouse Club theme.

Many of the songs include backup vocals and conversational interludes performed by children. The bluesy “One Dozen Monkeys” even spotlights a self-identified eleven-year-old girl. From the Shrek-esque bathroom humor and comedic narrative poetry a la Shel Silverstein of “Pirate Girls Nine” to the instructional repetition of “Figure Eight,” the songs seize the listener’s attention and encourage her to learn.

But most important, especially for a children’s album, is that these songs are not dumbed down. Morose and horn-rich, “Seven” compares the number 7 to an irritating party guest, embracing rather than invalidating the negative and even destructive emotions that children share with adults. “I Can Add” features a Spanish lesson in numbers, and “Nonogon” reaches beyond the elementary level to describe a variety of geometric shapes. The theatrical “Nine Bowls of Soup” stars an ichthyosaurus, an extinct reptile undoubtedly absent from the vocabulary of many college students.

Living up to their well-established reputation for eclecticism, They Might Be Giants set their catchy songwriting to a complex musical background. Heavy rhythm and dance-punk basslines accompany the highly catchy number “High Five” while funky “Infinity” makes use of dissonance. “Figure Eight” features distorted guitar reminiscent of The Pixies and “Eight Hundred and Thirteen Mile Car Trip” rocks out with Green Day-style punk drumming. “Heart of the Band” even addresses music in its lyrics, indirectly encouraging children themselves to explore the world of music performance.

They Might Be Giants have sold over four million records during their career, and they show no sign of becoming less prolific. A 2003 documentary directed by A.J. SAlthough they are currently continuing their tour to promote The Else, a third children’s album focusing on science may appear as early as 2009.

Hip, modern and mature, Here Come The 123s is unexpectedly apt for the jaded and media-soaked youngster as well as for the disillusioned adult looking for some optimism, innocence and 47.8 minutes of dance mania and enthusiastic high-fiving. Never missing a beat or a chance to educate, the thirteenth album of this dynamic team is anything but unlucky.

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