Don't Forget the Donut!

Album Review

Young children, it has often been noted, are not necessarily the most sophisticated music consumers in the world, but when you get right down to it, that's because they're apt to like just about anything short of hardcore punk, grand opera, or death metal. So really, the key attribute to keep in mind when looking for children's music is whether their parents are going to be able to tolerate listening to it once, much less the few dozen times a week that will become the standard if the album becomes a favorite. Wayne Potash's second album largely fulfills this requirement. The cover photo, in which a barefoot, ponytailed, tie-dye-wearing Potash looks creepily like an aging hippie David Byrne, suggests a worrisome level of earnestness, but in fact, the album is more fun than one might expect, with some bluegrass and folk influences on a largely rather goofy set of topics. The opening "Stunt Car" sounds like Gary Usher-era Beach Boys reinterpreted for the pre-K set, and other tracks have the same playful feel as They Might Be Giants' recent forays into children's music. Best of all, reinterpretations of familiar old jazz and pre-rock pop tunes like "When the Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbin' Along" and "The Frim Fram Sause" potentially open young minds to some types of music they might not get a lot of exposure to. Not bad at all.