Yay! - Seanster and the Monsters

Seanster and the Monsters - Yay! album cover

Album: Yay!

Age Range: 4 through 8

Description: I'm a little late to this 2014 release from the Winnipeg-area band, but it's a nifty little collection of songs that run the gamut from amusing to absurd. I realize that gamuts are usually a little wider than that, but Sean Hogan and his band know his strengths and play to them.

Musically, the band covers more ground, from the silly march of the leadoff track "Yay Dolphins!" (which eventually sings about kittens in the cockpit) to '60s-era spy music ("Double-O Wombat") to the polka of album closer "More Monkeys." (Genial guitar-based folk-rock with a hint of banjo is generally their home base.) I thought the movement-based songs "Pat Your Head" and especially "They Can't" ("Snap / Like the turtles can't snap")were more clever and engaging than most movement-based songs I've heard, approaching They Might Be Giants' "Clap Your Hands" in terms of that cleverness. While there's definitely a TMBG/Barenaked Ladies vibe to their songs, some of their more narrative songs will remind listeners of the odd narratives of Duke Otherwise, Zak Morgan, and Steve Weeks (whom Hogan bears more than passing resemblance to, vocally).

Technically speaking, the 37-minute album is a debut album, but Hogan has been performing kids music for more than a decade. Now that they've got this first album as a band under their belt, I'm eager to see them stretch their wings, somewhat musically, definitely lyrically. But this is solid stuff for the joking kid in your life. Recommended.

Note: I was provided a copy of the album for possible review.

Take Me Outside - Jessie Farrell

Artist: Jessie Farrell

Album: Take Me Outside

Age Range: 3 through 7

Description: A few years back, I thought that country music would be the next genre to receive the full kids music treatment. There were a couple artists that took that approach and then... it all faded away. Today there's virtually nobody making what I'd think of as straight-ahead country for the younger set.

Enter Canadian musician Jessie Farrell, who's recorded four albums of country music for adults and has now released this new album for kids. The album title suggests songs celebrating nature and the outdoors, and sure enough, that's what we get. The gentle "Wind," the messy "Marvellous Mud Pie," the earthy "Bugs and Slugs" (all about, yes, bugs and slugs). The production features Farrell's warm voice with a hint of twang and enough fiddle and acoustic guitar to place this firmly in the country music camp. While I didn't care too much for the songs that tried to make a point (in "Feeling Free," a kid begs the parents she loves to take her outside), songs like "Morning Song," which are more brief sketches, are more effective.

I still wonder why the lyrics-driven and production-focused genre that gives us artists like Kacey Musgraves and Eric Church hasn't produced more music for families. Take Me Outside is a good first step -- artfully done, and an album I'd recommend for any families who wish their family music collection had a little more twang.

Sleep Softly - L'Ensemble Agora (The Secret Mountain)

Artist: L'Ensemble Agora (The Secret Mountain)

Album: Sleep Softly: Classical Lullabies by Brahms, Schubert, Satie, Debussy...

Age Range: 0 through 3

Description: The latest book/CD combo from Canadian publisher The Secret Mountain turns to music decades -- OK, mostly centuries -- old to produce a classical lullaby album. L'Ensemble Agora is a French sextet known for setting children's literature to music, so they know their way around playing for kids, though one would hope that in a concert setting they're trying to engage their audience, rather than put them to sleep.

There are dozens -- hundreds? -- of classical lullaby albums, so what's distinctive about this one? Well, these are mostly short pieces (in some cases mere excerpts, I believe), and many of them are specifically lullabies (as opposed to relaxing pieces of classical music). It's also distinctive in that it's a book, though the book is geared more towards the adult than the 18-month-old who just won't fall asleep -- Elodie Nouhen's detailed, dream-like illustrations will be appreciated more by older kids and adults, and the explanatory notes are definitely for adults. I suppose that's not surprising, as that target audience of 18-month-olds can't read, so why provide kid-focused liner notes? But in its chief task, of calming and reassuring the child (and, to some extent, the parent), Sleep Softly succeeds -- everything else is just bonus. Recommended.

Let's Boogie - Rock 'n' Rainbow

Artist: Rock 'n' Rainbow

Album: Let's Boogie

Age Range: 3 through 7

Description: File this in the "don't judge a book by its cover" file -- the cacophony of colors on the cover of this album set off all sorts of warning sounds in my head, making me leery that I was in for a cheesy third-rate glam-inspired version of other preschool bands in color-coordinated outfits you may have heard of.

But once I put the CD in my player, I was pleasantly surprised. The band is the brainchild of Mike Whitla, who runs Rainbow Songs, an early childhood music education program in Toronto, and has released 6 other kids music albums. He's brought together other Toronto musicians and producer Tor Hyams to give these songs a slick sheen. Some of the songs ("Hands Together, Hands Apart," "That Is the Right Hand") are clearly intended to be movement-oriented songs -- they're well done, but they're not necessarily unique. Some songs, however, are pure brilliance, like the album opener "I Like To Ride My Bike," which musically references Queen's song of nearly the same title and then proceeds to out-Queen Queen in its over-the-top production. The Ramones-referencing "I Can't Fly" and the funky "Five Senses" also transcend their origins -- they're just plain fun.

The best way to listen to songs from the 45-minute album is on Whitla's YouTube channel. Let's Boogie is energetic and a different spin on a lot of early childhood music education music. For families looking for a slightly glitter-infused take on music for their kindergarteners, this could fill that niche well. Recommended.

Note: I received a copy of this album for possible review.

Always Be a Unicorn - Helen Austin

Artist: Helen Austin

Album: Always Be a Unicorn

Age Range: 4 through 8

Description: The British-born musician, now residing in British Columbia, Canada, recorded an album of poppy folk music that's kid-friendly without being "kids' music." Even "All the Letters," which runs through the alphabet, wouldn't sound out of place on an album not filed under "Children." (Indeed, the track "Treehouse" was already released on a non-kids album.) The music has a bit of a music-box quality -- it's gentle but occasionally exuberant and anchored by Austin's warm songwriting and clear, distinctive voice. (Listen to the album here.) Nominated for Best Children's Album at the 2013 Junos, Unicorn is recommended for those times when your family is seeking folk-pop that's more concerned with a kid's (or adult's) sense of emotional security rather than learning their letters.

Songs for Little Bean - Kori Pop

Artist: Kori Pop

Album: Songs for Little Bean

Age Range: 0-4

Review: "Get past the sounds of Pop's ethereal voice multi-tracked and used as much as instruments and percussion, and the album still stands as a gentle mix of classic kids' songs, originals, and well-chosen covers... Definitely recommended." / Full review / Listen