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CD Review: Debbie and Friends, “More Story Songs and Sing Alongs”

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Debbie’s back, she’s brought her Friends, and she has More Story Songs and Sing Alongs!

If you listened to the first volume, or if you’ve caught Debbie at one of her many well-received concerts over the last few years, you know what to expect — catchy, positive tunes, delivered with the same strong lines and bright colors you see in the album artwork.

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Debbie kicks off the new album with a song titled “So, So Happy,” and that about sums it up — this is cheerful music, focused on the best things about family, love, and growing up. Subjects include making silly faces for the camera (“Willy Won’t”), sports (“Home Run Ronnie”), achieving goals (“I Think I Can”), and friendship (“Until Next Time”), with a round of Simon Says thrown in for good measure (um, “Simon Says”).

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There’s even a dance track (“Little Red Remix”) and a duet with the James Brown of kids’ music, Bob McGrath.

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What else do you want?

Like the first volume, More Story Songs and Sing Alongs is slickly produced, with a bright polish to go with the smartly crafted arrangements (credits in the liner notes include everything from banjo to strings, brass, and a children’s choir). As far as kids’ music goes, it’s pretty much the polar opposite of recent rootsy discs from the likes of Dean Jones or Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, and it’s more narrowly focused, too — Debbie’s music is aimed at the pre-K demographic, and perhaps unlike those other artists, your mileage may vary with the older kids in your family. But for the little ones who just want a little primary color fun, More Story Songs and Sing Alongs is just about perfect — 33 minutes of sunshine and dancing. Watch this video for “Home Run Ronnie” and see if you don’t agree.

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CD Review: Flannery Brothers, “Move Over Lullabies…It’s Time for Wake Up Songs!”

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The Flannery Brothers’ debut CD, Love Songs for Silly Things, was a big hit in our house last year, and when I heard they had another disc on the way, I was filled with the kind of anticipation I don’t normally feel for Dadnabbit assignments. I mean, hey, I love kids’ music as much as the next guy, but if I get an e-mail telling me I have a new children’s CD on the way and something new from, say, K’naan or David Byrne…well, the kids’ stuff can wait.

But as soon as I received my copy of Move Over Lullabies…It’s Time for Wake Up Songs!, I tore off the plastic and put the disc in the CD tray. With the Flannery Brothers performing the songs, and a title like that, how can you go wrong?

Answer: You can’t. Wake Up Songs is very short — the whole thing is over in about 15 minutes — but as advertised, it’s a great way to start the day. Acoustic guitars, electric piano, and those Flannery harmonies come beaming out of the speakers, exhorting you to wake up, splash some water on your face, hop on your bike, and move your arms and legs.

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(Good advice for parents as well as children.

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) Nine times out of ten, a record like this would be stuffed with annoying, Spongebob-style hyper energy, but these are just fun, uptempo songs, warm and organic, and perfect for a dash of silly fun in the morning.

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Play it while you’re making breakfast for your little ones — twice in a row, even — and start looking forward to the Flannery Brothers’ next full-length, already in the works.

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CD Review: Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, “Ranky Tanky”

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I’ll get right to the point: I love this album. A lot. I’d never heard Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem before Ranky Tanky arrived in my mailbox, but they’ve made themselves a fan for life, and I’m seeking out their albums for grown-ups as soon as I finish writing this review.

You know what to expect as soon as you lay eyes on the brightly colored, hand-drawn look of the album cover, and when you flip open the CD, those first impressions are reinforced with a picture of the band riding on a trolley and wielding acoustic guitars, fiddles, ukuleles, and wide open smiles. A few inches to the right, and you’re looking at liner notes that include instrumental credits for bottles, jawharp, kalimba, kazoo, harmonium, and some truly weird stuff, like balloon and veggie baster. You get the picture, right? This here’s a back porch kindie jamboree.

Which is all well and good, but all the fingerpicking and fiddling in the world can’t cover up for crummy songs; happily, Rani Arbo and Daisy Mayhem have lined up a towering stack of venerable standards (such as “The Green Grass Grows All Around”) and clever covers (The Meters’ “They All Ask’d for You,” John Gorka’s “Branching Out,” Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers,” Renee & Jeremy’s “It’s a Big World”) to go with more obviously kid-friendly fare (“If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out,” “Purple People Eater”). The arrangements are solid, the playing is impeccable, the production is clear and warm, and the vocals beam in like sunshine on a spring afternoon. What else can I say? I love this album, and I think you — and I guess more importantly, your kids — will love it too. But don’t just take my word for it — hear some samples here. (Then go buy the darn thing.)

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