They Might Be Giants

Prolific bands like They Might Be Giants must have a vault packed full with songs that either didn’t make the grade or have been forgotten, so it isn’t a surprise they periodically stick them all onto a CD to help bridge the gap until their next real album arrives. They Got Lost is a strange collection of rare and hard to find songs, all of which have been previously released. While the songs featured were recorded between the late 1990s and 2002, they actually work together as a cohesive album rather well. About half the songs come from the band’s groundbreaking deal with eMusic, where they provided exclusive songs for subscribers to download, while another half dozen are taken from the soundtrack CD the band composed for the sixth issue of Dave Eggers’ McSweeney’s literary journal. The remainder are from other various television and radio projects, plus some other odds and ends. Fans might already have most of the good stuff, but more casual listeners will be rewarded with a handful of very, very good They Might Be Giants songs, in particular "Rest Awhile,” "All Alone” and "I’m Sick (of this American Life).” Even the weaker songs (most of which come from the McSweeney’s soundtrack) don’t stick around for long enough to stink up the album. They Got Lost isn’t the essential They Might Be Giants album by any means, but as rarities compilations go, it is a very good one.