John Flansburgh didn't exactly need to start a side project to unleash his twisted tunes on a surprised populous; his day job as one half of Brooklyn's notoriously twisted They Might Be Giants already had that pretty much under control. Nevertheless, his debut "solo" record under the Mono Puff moniker is still a pure shot of typically goofy Flansburgh humor and skewered musical styles. From the straightforward TMBG-styled rock of "Unsupervised" to the ska-tinged "Dr. Kildare" and even through the surf rock flailing of "Guitar Was the Case," the record is a nice showcase for the rock troubadour's well-focused extra time and energy. In essence, Unsupervised is a TMBG record with a bit less polish around its edges. Outside of the bind of working with a partner, and minus a second opinion, Flansburgh is free to try out all of his ideas, and while some work quite well, others, like the uber-relaxed "So Long, Mockingbird" and the spacey, beat-laden "To Serve Mankind," are practically dead in the water. TMBG fans will certainly find a lot to love on this record, but for the uninitiated, it pales in comparison to the singer and guitarist's work with his full-time band.
© Peter J. D'Angelo /TiVo