album review

we bought the new laurie berkner cd last weekend. it's been awhile since we've heard new music from her and the band and it was a pleasant refresh of an artist our family really enjoys. i had forgotten how musical and fun her tunes are. they're not insipid like a lot of kids' music. classic nursery rhymes have their value, but a lot of children's artists don't get beyond the simplistic ryhmes of moon/june, etc.

her stuff has such broad appeal that kisu and i will listen when the kids aren't around. yes, i even took it to work to import into my itunes library.

like any good album, some tracks are instant favorites and others take time and repetition. on this album, the repetition is built right in for a song called 'going on a hunt' (5 tracks). at first it's downright annoying how many times you hear it, but then you realize that each iteration changes rhythm and instrumentation; from ska to blues to jive.

just because the songs are clever and engaging doesn't mean they aren't serious earbugs. just ask poppa; he spent an entire 20 hour drive singing 'boody-boody-ya-ya-ya'. currently, i have 'mouse in my toolbox' running through my head from the time i wake up.

i hear a bang, bang, bang of my hammer/ a turn, turn, turn of my screwdriver/ there's a paw on my saw and an eye on my drill/ and her little tail is wrapped around my pliers.

this rhythm is so catchy and the chorus so charming that you can't help but rock out to it. and it conjures up an image of a tiny rodent version of norm abram.