Itty-Bitty Review: Songs for Little Bean - Kori Pop

Lullaby albums aren't a dime a dozen, but hear enough of them, and their value does diminish rapidly.

And I've heard enough of them.

So I'm willing to admit that the novelty (meaning new-ness, not jokey) of Songs for Little Bean, the first kids album from Canadian artist Kori Pop, is part of the reason for its appeal.

But 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.  Originally recorded as a gift for Pop's newborn godchild, it starts out with "Chim Chim Cheree" from Mary Poppins, a version which is even more wistful than the original. "Twinkle Little Star" extends that small classic into a two-minute version into a Andrews-Sisters-meets-naptime gem.  It's not entirely a lullaby album -- the final two songs, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and the original "A is for Alphabet" could easily be on a non-lullaby album, but throughout the 25-minute run-time of the disk there's a feeling of calm.  You can stream samples and a few whole songs using the widget below; the only comparable album I can think of is the Innocence Mission's classic lullaby album Now the Day Is Over.

As with any (good) lullaby album, the primary age range of 0 through 4 years for Songs for Little Bean implies that adults won't enjoy it at all, which definitely isn't the case.  Kids could easily get used to falling to sleep it and parents will appreciate the times they get to rock or nurse their kids to this.  Hoping that Kori Pop is asked to be a godparent again in hopes that she records another album as a gift is wrong, I realize that.  But it would be nice to hear a sequel to this.  Definitely recommended.

Review Two-Fer: Putumayo's Instrumental Dreamland / Brazilian Playground

Instrumental Dreamland album coverYear in, year out, the Putumayo Kids offshoot of the main Putumayo label consistently releases a handful of well-curated albums of music from around the world and closer to home (if home happens to be North America).

From a reviewer's perspective, they almost do this too well -- if the quality varied more, it would be easier for us to note the outstanding ones, and ignore the misfires.  As it stands, they're inevitably all good, but it's hard for one to stand out and demand special attention.

I was reminded of this as I listened to the two most recent releases from the label.  There is nothing bad with Instrumental Dreamland, the latest in Putumayo Kids' "Dreamland" series.  You could give it to a parent at their wits' end in trying to comfort a wailing infant, and they would probably be grateful.  It's soothing, devoid of over-emoting vocalists, and peaceful -- a solid album of lullabies.  It is also somewhat superfluous amidst the sea of other lullabye albums available.  Because almost every song features a guitar (or at least some other guitar-like plucked instrument), there's a sameness to the songs that is frankly unusual for a Putumayo disk, which generally features more instrumental and stylistic diversity, even in its Dreamland series.  I even felt it was too Western-ized -- do we really need yet another cover of "What a Wonderful World?"  Kids of all ages (and their parents) will appreciate Instrumental Dreamland either at night or anytime a half-hour of quiet time is needed, but there's far less "need" for this album than most of Putumayo's disks.

Brazilian Playground album coverBrazilian Playground, on the other hand, is closer to a "typical" Putumayo Kids disk (if such a thing can be said to exist).  It features eleven songs from the Brazil's large and diverse musical heritage.  The album opener, "Alo... Alo," deftly mixes the traditional sound of the bossa nova with electronic beats, while the follow-up, Gui Tavares' "Pancada" has a mellow pop sound.  And Chico Cesar's "Mama Africa" sounds like it draws as much from reggae as anything from Brazil.  (My favorite track: Adriana Macel's bright, sun-dappled "Samba Dos Animais")

This is not an entirely new disk -- Putumayo released this originally in 2007.  For this re-release, Putumayo cut 5 tracks, added 3 new ones (Cesar's track, a jazzy "O Rio Tem Cachoiera" and a slow track at the end called "Anhanga), and re-ordered and remastered the rest. The three tracks are fine, but owners of the 2007 disk shouldn't feel the need to upgrade.  Kids ages 3 through 7 will be the ones most likely to dance along and enjoy Putumayo's typically solid work on the liner notes.  Brazilian Playground is Putumayo doing well at what it does well -- bringing a mostly unfamiliar sound to English-speaking America and presenting it in a sparkling light.  Recommended.

Itty-Bitty Review: The Littlest Star - Meadows

TheLittlestStar.pngThe annoyance some parents feel upon hearing the classics of kids' music isn't due to the melodies themselves. The melodies, in fact, because they've survived for centuries in some cases, are some of the best ever. Parents' anger, rather, is a result of repetition and, sometimes, poor execution. The littlest things, like providing the barest minimum of interesting accompaniment and slightly different (but real) instrumention, can push the date of the inevitable "I can't take this anymore!" way out into the future. So it is with The Littlest Star, the debut album from Meadows. The band is a side project from musician and composer Keith Kenniff and his wife Hollie (who also perform together in their indie-rock band Mint Julep). Most of the tracks are renditions of standard wiggleworm-y classics like "Shoofly Don't Bother Me," "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O," and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." The arrangements are muted and tasteful, lots of acoustic guitar and piano. Hollie Kenniff gets the majority of vocals here; her relaxed voice induces calm and fits the simple tunes perfectly. Their banjo-assisted take on "You Are My Sunshine" is particularly lovely. The originals (e.g., "Flutter Like a Butterfly," "Three Kangaroos") are pleasant enough, but tend toward the cute end of the spectrum and I found myself preferring the standards to these. The 33-minute album is most appropriate for kids ages 0 through 5. You can hear samples at their homepage, but to listen to fill tracks, check out the Unseen Music YouTube channel. You'll probably find Meadows' sound as reminiscent of Elizabeth Mitchell's (minus the inspired cover song choices). I'd go with Mitchell's CDs over The Littlest Star, but the fact that I'm even bothering to compare the two speaks highly of the Meadows' ability to make childhood classics listenable for a long time. Recommended. Disclosure: I received a (digital) copy of the album for possible review.

Review: A Trio of Sleepy Disks

Time once again for another stroll -- a long, langurous stroll we might not actually complete because we're so tired -- down lullaby lane. The last couple times I did this, I reviewed seven lullaby albums, but maybe because I'm only doing this a year after my last list, I only have three to add. Let's get started... you're probably tired anyway. InnocentWhenYouDream.jpgFirst up is my favorite of the trio, New England singer-songwriter Mark Erelli's Innocent When You Dream, originally released in 2007 and back in print once again. Like many lullaby disks these days, it's not a collection of traditional (or even standard) lullabies; rather, the album includes songs by "some of [Erelli's] favorite writers that have a certain tenderness to them," and even subtitles the album "Lullabies and Love Songs." Which is why you get folks like Tom Waits, Tom Petty, Wilco, and Shawn Colvin getting covered here. (I already said how much I liked Erelli's cover of Wilco's "My Darling"; the song is originally from this album.) They are songs of comfort and reassurance, so, yes, lullabies, if not ones with easy-to-remember lyrics. Sonically, the album is perfectly pitched, as if Erelli were sitting in the corner of your nursery or around the campfire, singing to you and/or your child, accompanying himself on guitar. It avoids the common lullaby album mistake of being so overwrought that it'll keep everyone awake. Listen to a couple tracks from the 30-minute album here. Innocent When You Dream is a lovely little album and will soothe all but the most savage beast. A couple more albums after the jump.

Itty-Bitty Review: Acoustic Dreamland (Putumayo) - Various Artists

AcousticDreamland.jpgThe sight of Nicola Heindl's illustration immediately brands it as a Putumayo disk. But take off the animated cover of Acoustic Dreamland, the latest collection from Putumayo Kids, replace it with some tastefully sepia-tinged photograph of, I don't know, a moon rising over a barn, and you could totally sell this collection at Pottery Barn, perhaps. Which is to say that this isn't so much a kids music album as it is just a kid-friendly album. But oh what a nicely curated album it is. I never would have pegged Wilco as a source for lullabies, but Mark Erelli's version of "My Darling" outshines the original, methinks. Ditto for Elizabeth Mitchell's cover of the Allman Brothers' "Blue Sky." Kids musicians aren't totally shut out here -- Frances England records a new song, "Here With Me," for the collection, and Kesang Marstrand lends a song from her excellent lullaby collection as well. As with many Putumayo disks, however, the value in the collection isn't so much the individual songs as much as it is the fact that someone has spent the time finding the tracks and saving the listener the effort. The album is appropriate for all ages, though the lullaby nature of means that you're more likely to spin it with kids ages 5 and less. You can sample some of the tracks here. I can totally see Acoustic Dreamland being used at nap time or quiet time or during a nighttime feeding. And, buried on a hard drive and stripped of its album art, long past your kids nap, eat at night, or are ever quiet, listened by you and you alone. Recommended.

Seven Sleepy Lullaby Albums (The Sequel)

A couple years ago, I put together a review of seven lullaby albums. It's time to do another review of lullaby albums that have crossed my desk in the past six to nine months and, what do you know?, there are seven more. Must be a lucky number. UntilTheLightOfMorning.jpgThe most striking lullaby album in this collection is Until the Light of Morning, the recently released album from New Yorker (via London) Essie Jain. As Jain notes in her liner notes, the 35-minute album is "designed to unwind itself as it goes along, as the music becomes softer and more relaxed, eventually becoming as instrumental as the heart beat." It's definitely the best-constructed lullaby album here, perfected for moving from evening play time to sleep time. The music and lovely packaging make it a good choice for gifting to the new parent... or maybe even your own family. (Listen to a couple songs here and 3 more from a live Daytrotter session.) Definitely recommended. SingMeToSleep.jpgSing Me To Sleep from American Laundromat Records is the latest in the time-honored tradition of getting indie rock artists to record music for kids. The For the Kids series can cross "lullaby disk" off their to-do list, because this fits the bill. The indie artists here such as Stars, Dean & Britta, and Tanya Donelly cover others' songs for the album. As you might expect given the compilation nature of the disk, the definition of "lullaby" gets stretched considerably. I love The Leisure Society's take on "Inchworm," but it gets far too peppy to be a lullaby, and I'm not sure "Little Boxes" is really a lullaby in any sense of the word. (Also, can we please put a five-year moratorium on covers of "Pure Imagination" and "Rainbow Connection," both covered here and a billion other kid-related comps?) Far better are Dala's take on "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and Telekinesis' version of "Can't Get It Out of My Head," along with a number of other tracks. There's a limited edition with tracks from Julie Peel and the Coctails, and more -- the tracks from those artists in particular definitely aren't throwaway tracks and are probably worth the extra cash, along with a gorgeous instrumental version of "The Sound of Silence" from the Abbasi Brothers. Peter Broderick's "You Are My Sunshine" may induce nightmares, though, and count me among those wondering why Say Hi covered the Violent Femmes track "Kiss Off" (it does make for interesting listening, though, I'll give it that much). Proceeds from the album will go to The Valerie Fund, which provides support for the comprehensive health care of children with cancer and blood disorders. (Listen to songs from the album here.) It might not be a perfect album, but you can certainly find a good 30 minutes of excellent lullabies. Recommended. I think these two albums are the cream of this particular crop of disks, but there are 5 more after the jump -- you're bound to find at least one of these that appeal to you...