January 13, 2009

"At last, some upbeat and friendly kid-rock songs (No, not THAT Kid Rock!) from an artist that understands that children are a lot smarter than we normally give them credit for. These guys make family-oriented music in the vein of They Might Be Giants or Dan Zanes, heavy on the humor, giddy on the groove, mischievous with melody, and without a trace of condescension. Their expertly produced sound is an intelligent blend of futuristic jams and retro pop with a healthy helping of silliness, joy, and suspense sprinkled on top for good measure. Parents who are fans of Beck, The Shins, or the Flaming Lips will certainly share their child’s enthusiasm for Here We Go!"

March 18, 2009

How often does one get to write a music review in which the band name, the album title, and the lead song are all the same? The debut kids' record by Here We Go is called Here We Go, and the first song on the CD is, yep, you guessed it, "Here We Go." That sort of cheekiness informs Here We Go's music: carefree and sunny, but with a wink-yer-eye awareness.

Here We Go is basically Mississippi-based Australian expat Phil Ulrich doin' it all. His production skills are part of what makes Here We Go so listenable: subtle drum machine tracks are smoothly mixed with the sounds of a pedal steel guitar or, say, a ukulele. In fact, the project sounds like a cross between Jason Kleinberg's kids' band, me 3, and Beck.

Highlights of Here We Go's Here We Go include "All Hungry Babies," a hand-wavin' shout-out to tiny tots everywhere; the DEVO beats and 8-bit bleeps of "One to Eight," a tune that would feel right at home on an episode of Yo Gabba Gabba; the slippery bass, wiggly slide guitar, and dusty drum loop of "Down Home," a Beck-like tune about a homesick chicken; and lines like this from "Baby Food:" 'You may say that it's very, very strange / But there's a little sign that hangs inside the corner of my brain / It says, "Don't make your body do more than it can do." / Baby food is good because you do not have to chew.'

Danceable kids' music from the Deep South via the Southern Hemisphere. Dig it.