| Mink Car | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 11, 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 1999–2001 | |||
| Studio | Coyote Studio, Brooklyn Kampo Studios, Manhattan The Magic Shop, Manhattan TMF Studio, Manhattan Soundtrack Studios, Manhattan Westside Studio, London Studio 4 Recording, Philadelphia | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 46:24 (US Release) 38:14 (European Release) | |||
| Label | Restless | |||
| Producer | Adam Schlesinger (tracks: 3, 5, 8), Albert Caiati (tracks: 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16), Clive Langer & Alan Winstanley (tracks: 1, 2, 6, 11), Patrick Dillett (tracks: 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16), They Might Be Giants (tracks: 4, 7, 9, 10, 12-16) | |||
| They Might Be Giants chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 2022 vinyl/digital re-release | ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (60/100)[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Alternative Press | [1] |
| The A.V. Club | (favorable)[3] |
| Blender | [1] |
| Pitchfork Media | (2.8/10)[4] |
| PopMatters |   [1][5] |
| Robert Christgau |  [6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
| Slant Magazine |  [8] |
Mink Car is the eighth studio album by They Might Be Giants, released on September 11, 2001, on the Restless Records label.
One of the band's most eclectic efforts, its variety reflects its recording process; it was put together in a number of different studios, with a number of different guest artists and producers, around the country as the band toured between 1999 and 2001.
It runs the gamut from pure power-pop songs, such as "Bangs" and "Finished With Lies", to dance music ("Man, It's So Loud In Here"), and soft romantic ballads ("Another First Kiss"). The title track musically references Burt Bacharach (from cocktail piano introduction to horn interludes) whilst lyrically it offers an absurd take on lush lifestyles and dreamy music ("I got hit by a mink car ... driven by a guitar"). "Man, It's So Loud in Here" was the only single released from the album, though its cover of the Georgie Fame oldie "Yeh Yeh" was featured in a Chrysler car commercial. "Bangs," "Cyclops Rock," "Man, It's So Loud In Here," and "Another First Kiss", as well as "Boss of Me" (which was featured on non-U.S. releases), were released on the band's 2002 anthology compilation Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants.
"Bangs" provided the inspiration for author Zadie Smith's short story "The Girl with Bangs".[9]
A complete cover album called Mink Car Cover was constructed in 2011 to raise funds for the FDNY Foundation in the wake of the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks that occurred on the day of the album's original release. It featured covers by 19 different artists including Marian Call, The Doubleclicks, Hello, The Future!, and Molly Lewis.[10]
- ^ a b c d Critic reviews at Metacritic
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ The A.V. Club review
- ^ Matt LeMay (2001-09-17). "They Might Be Giants: Mink Car". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ^ PopMatters review
- ^ Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
- ^ "Rolling Stone review". Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-07.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Slant Magazine review
- ^ New Giants Album Set For August Release at Billboard; published April 13, 2001; retrieved July 13, 2013
- ^ "Mink Car Cover: A project to benefit the FDNY Foundation" (PDF).