You're Nice People You Are

Album Review

NRBQ's 12th album for the Rounder imprint finds the band employing their usual eclectic approach on a dozen quirky originals and coming up with their first album for children. The kickoff title track — a goofy sing along with more than a smattering of slightly dissonant Dixieland horns in the background — is also reprised in the next to last slot on this 13-song collection.

As usual, Terry Adams contributes the widest — and weirdest — breadth of tunes here with "Encyclopedia," "We're Walking" and the atmospheric instrumental "Next Stop Brattleboro" all bearing his unique stamp. But the majority of tunes emanate from the pens of the brothers Spampinato, Joey and Johnny, and it's the sheer oddball fun they invest in tracks like "Always Safety First," "There's a Girl, There's a Boy," "Keep Lookin' For Tumbleweeds Danny," the festive "It's St. Patrick's Day" and "The Music Lesson" (with a guest appearance from drummer Tom Ardolino as Professor Fleishaker) that keeps the NRBQ flag still flying high on this release.