Artist: Martykins and Friends
Album: Martykins & Friends
Age Range: 4 through 8
Description: I suppose any album gutsy enough to feature a song called "The Funky Lumberjack" had better be willing to follow through and, you know, be kinda funky. Surprisingly enough, that song, off the debut album from bassist Martin McSweeney is, well, kinda funky.
It's also about a lumberjack (presumably that's him doing the bump with Grandma from "Grandma's Pantry" on the album cover), which gives you a sense of the free-for-all approach on the album. The bluegrass track "Magic Pick" features some nifty mandolin work from Shawn Cunnane; that track segues into the full-on Hammond B-3-assisted rock track "Ice Cream."
The 29-minute album moves by quickly, nothing earth-shattering, but at points, it's like a somewhat more cartoon-y Okee Dokee Brothers. That's not a half-bad place to be. Recommended.
