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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Mink Car
EMAILPRINTby They Might Be Giants
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 9 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 8 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Restless
Release Date: 11 September 2001
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Alternative, Pop, Rock
Summary
The band's first major release since 1996's 'Factory Showroom' features 17 new recordings (including some songs that originally appeared on 1999's self-released 'Long Tall Weekend.').
Also By This Artist: No! The Else The Spine
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
PopMatters
Mink Car will please just about all but the most picky of They Might Be Giants fans. Diverse, off-beat, strange, fun, and decidedly wonderful, it proves that TMBG haven't really lost anything over the years...
Read Full Review >Alternative Press
They haven't lost any of their quirky cool mojo. [Nov 2001, p.97]
Sonicnet
Mink Car is all over the map, an ideal piece of entertainment for listeners simultaneously blessed and cursed with high IQs and attention deficit disorder.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
They Might Be Giants are just a stitch more serious about being silly, and that extra earnestness makes all the difference.
Read Full Review >Blender
Almost a total wreck -- even decent melodies are hard to come by. [Aug/Sep 2001, p.130]
Shredding Paper
Mink Car is all been-there-done-that. [#11]
Pitchfork
Yes, Mink Car is crap. All the charms They Might Be Giants once seemed to possess have dissipated into a cloud of embarrassing awkwardness.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Gerwin K gave it a4:
I dont belive this is acually from TMBG. How they once made quirky, entertaining songs, Mink Car only showcases a crappy attempt to sanity. If thats how you could even call it.
Chuck W gave it a9:
Mink Car is TMBG's opus, I think. Their initial music was a bit too campy for me, and they meandered for a bit. But then with Mink Car, it all comes together, the whole TMBG sound, but with refined sophistication. The record is a variety show of sounds, nearly every song sounds completely different. Yet, there's no song worth skipping. Everyone that I've urged to borrow Mink Car from me, whether a TMBG fan or not, has agreed that this is a great record.
bil phil gave it a10:
It's great
jethro gave it a 4:
I really tried to give this album a chance. It seems that I'm disappointed with every new TMBG on the first listen, but it gets better with each subsequent spin. Mink Car got the disappointment part down right, it's the recovery that's lacking. This isn't an album, this is a B-sides collection. Some songs are lacking while others are too overproduced. (Those familiar with the "rough cut" of I've Got a Fang will know what I am talking about.) At least there are some keepers. "Man, It's So Loud in Here" should be annoying, but it instead becomes the best alternative dance tune since Frank Black's cover of the Beach Boys' "Hang on to Your Ego". Working Undercover is Another highlight, but it's immediately disqualified due to its previous appearance on the E-music EP of the same name. All in all, the album is just boring, lacking, frustrating, or a combination of all three. For those claiming it's TMBGs best, listen to Licoln or Flood, then put this one back in, and you'll see just what's wrong with it.
Ben R. gave it a 10:
My favorite TMBG song is still Istanbul, but this CD probably has the higest proportion of good songs to crappy songs of any CD ever.
Josh gave it an 8:
I love They Might Be Giants, and this album is pretty good. Admittedly, it isn't as good as LINCOLN or JOHN HENRY, but it's still very good. The only thing that brings it down is the fact that some of the lyrics make absolutely no sense (e.g. "Wicked Little Critta" and "Mink Car"). Also, the entire cd sounds as if it was meant to be a dance cd. The only song that is truly reminiscent of TMBG is "Finished With Lies", which sounds like it would have fit better on APOLLO 18. Nevertheless, I still maintain that TMBG is the best band in the entire world.
