Glean

Glean Studio album by They Might Be Giants
First released	April 21, 2015 Release details / collectors: Show \| Hide	Tracks	15	Last album	Nanobots
Label	Idlewild Recordings	Length	39:01	Next album	Why?

Glean is the seventeenth studio album by They Might Be Giants, released on April 21, 2015.

Thirteen of the album's fifteen tracks were premiered on the 2015 Dial-A-Song service (with the other two following shortly after), and it forms the first of three releases to compile material from the project. It is also notable as the first adult release by the band to have music videos commissioned for every one of its tracks (though they aren't included in the CD release). The album was released through Idlewild Recordings, manufactured and distributed by Megaforce Records. Lojinx handled European distribution, and Breakaway was responsible for the Australian release. The artwork for the album was designed by Paul Sahre.

Glean's release was celebrated with a concert in Brooklyn, which fell in the middle of the spring leg of their Our Options Have Changed 2015 US Tour. Two more albums of DAS content followed. One of these albums, Why?, was released on November 27, 2015; the other album, Phone Power, was released on March 8, 2016. All three albums were distributed as part of the 2015 Instant Fan Club membership.

Purchase[edit]

The band took a break from touring in 2014 in order to begin recording and mixing both a rock album and a children's album, which would be their first off the Disney Sound label since No!. Although the children's album was initially expected for an earlier release,^[1] the band later indicated that a rock album would precede it.^[2]

In November of 2014, John Flansburgh shared a short video of horn section veterans Curt Ramm, Stan Harrison, Dan Levine, playing trumpet, saxophone, and trombone, respectively, for the track "Let Me Tell You About My Operation". A few days later, another video, this one of Rob Moose playing violin for "Music Jail, Pt. 1 & 2", was posted to TMBG's YouTube channel. Flansburgh has stated that the track listing didn't come together until close to the release date.^[3]

Some autographed copies of Glean have been available at concerts, presumably among those seen in the Whole Lot Of Glean video.

The 2015 Instant Fan Club included a printed certificate of thanks, with a message about Glean on the back:

WHAT IS GLEAN?

It's more than a feeling. It's more than a telephone. It's more than the slow tapping on your living room ceiling coming from the apartment with the people that no one has ever seen.

What is glean? You might find glean when you're all alone or in a crowded room. You might find glean taking a long walk all alone or taking a long walk in a crowded room.

It's more than songs. It's more than howling, howling, howling at the empty night sky. Glean is nouns and salutations and words and sound all mixed together to create a blinding light. So, so bright, so bright you'll never even see it coming.

There is no warning. Glean doesn't need friends. Glean is taking a long walk in a crowded room.

Talk to glean. It's been calling and it misses you.

Track listing[edit]

#	Title	Length
1	Erase	2:47
2	Good To Be Alive	3:11
3	Underwater Woman	2:33
4	Music Jail, Pt. 1 & 2	3:10
5	Answer	3:23
6	I Can Help The Next In Line	1:59
7	Madam, I Challenge You To A Duel	1:58
8	End Of The Rope	2:38
9	All The Lazy Boyfriends	2:46
10	Unpronounceable	3:23
11	Hate The Villanelle	1:52
12	I'm A Coward	2:49
13	Aaa	1:59
14	Let Me Tell You About My Operation	2:59
15	Glean	1:47