Audio: Rabid Child
Album: They Might Be Giants
Release Date: 1985
They Might Be Giants is full of strange songs. In fact, this is probably not the first time I’ve said that at the start of one of these reviews. But it’s true nonetheless, and today’s song “Rabid Child” just helps prove that.
“Rabid Child” is a strange song, sure, but it also has some warmth to it. I don’t know if it’s the slight breeze of the synth or Flans’ tender vocals, but something about this song almost comforts me in a way.
Moments of Interest: This backing track is one of the sparsest from the Pink Album’s lineup, but not without success. The bass pulses in and out while that synth choir plays for almost the entire track. Only when the bridge occurs do things get mixed up. The percussion becomes more eclectic, and the vocals become more imposing. But then, that final verse comes on. The organ joins into the mix, and that set of chords really completes the song — literally.
But in all honesty, I think that the vocals are the biggest player in this song being both creepy and soothing at the same time. Flans was able to find the thin line between the two and ride it near-perfectly. I mean, there are times during the song where the start of a line feels opposite to it’s own ending.
Yes, even though the lyrics are cryptic and unnerving, the percussion is spiked with malice, and the synths create a harsh backdrop, there is still something about this track that gives me comfort.
Favorite Aspect: I never thought of this before, but the way that Flans says the phrase “Talks on a CB” is… one of his most satisfying vocal moments I can think of currently. It’s like when a gymnast lands the final jump perfectly: the way his voice slides through that line; his tonality is spot on, and each word is enunciated perfectly.
I don’t know what to say, besides the fact that that line captured me fully for the first time. Please, let me know what you think of Flans’ vocals here.
Score: I think more than any other one of Their albums, the Pink Album’s tracks always have something new about them that I discover and am able to experience. Like that first line in this song, there’s some thing that enraptures me.
Before this review, this song was a 7/10. Now, it’s an 8/10 — a full point added for that first line.
Am I going crazy over this first line??
Upcoming: Istanbul (Not Constantinople) [Flood]
