They Might Be Giants - The World Is to Dig [Yellow]

They Might Be Giants' The World Is to Dig lands on 180-gram yellow vinyl, eighteen songs in about 44 minutes from a duo who still treat pop music like a puzzle box.

John Flansburgh and John Linnell took their longest break between albums after 2021's Book, with the pandemic and some real-life setbacks slowing things down. Working again with longtime collaborator Pat Dillett, they swapped earlier versions of several songs for brisker, more up-tempo takes, and the finished record feels like a band rediscovering its own momentum. The title nods to Ruth Krauss's children's book A Hole Is to Dig, which suits a group that has always viewed the world through slightly cockeyed glasses.

Lead single "Wu-Tang" is exactly as curious as its name suggests, and "Sleep's Older Sister" packs plenty into under two and a half minutes. "Outside Brain" keeps the pace brisk, while a cover of the Raspberries' 1974 power pop single "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" shows off their deep love of a big, unabashed chorus.

Most songs come and go in under three minutes, with sharp hooks and odd little detours tucked into every corner.

Twenty-fourth albums are not supposed to sound this lively, and the sunny yellow pressing suits the mood perfectly.