Well, it took almost 20 years, but Barenaked Ladies, a band known for their unique blend of humorous, sometimes wacky lyrics, as well as top-notch musicianship and harmonies, have put out a children’s album. It’s called Snacktime, and it’s one parents might ask the kids if they’d like to listen to, instead of the other way around.
The CD consists of twenty four original tracks, with themes ranging from the typical (food groups, nature and animals) to things like allergies and ninjas. They also take a kid-music staple like the alphabet and turn it on its ear, in “Crazy ABCs” (for example, “B”is for bdellium, which is a gum-like tree resin with a silent B, while “E” is for Euphrates and “P” is for Pneumonia, Pterodactyl and Psychosis). And don’t forget the trademark BNL lyrical non sequiturs that will make both kids and parents chuckle, (“Raisins comes from grapes. People come from apes. I come from Canada.”)
If there is a single from the CD, it would have to be “7,8,9” a riff on the old joke, which offers the musical answers to what would happen if it were really true that seven, in fact, ate nine. Here’s a hint: the solar system would be fine with it, since Pluto isn’t a planet anymore. The Barenaked Ladies are nothing if not educational. The nicest thing about the disc overall, is that it ranges from silly songs that four-year-olds can giggle at and enjoy to a tune about it being okay to have a bad day and wanting to spend time alone in your room, a subject that speaks to school-age kids.
The band acknowledges this is something their managers have wanted them to do for years, and now that their children outnumber the band members, they felt the time was right, and that it was really inevitable. The transition between genres is almost seamless. They even played two of their “grownup” songs, “Postcards from Chimpanzees” and “One Week” at their Borders in-store performance to illustrate the point, while sharing with the audience how hard it was not to swear onstage. Longtime fans will enjoy the classic banter between lead singers Steven Page and Ed Robertson that makes the band’s live shows special. Check out track 16, “I Don’t Like”, for a big dose of that.
A bonus for buying the CD, rather than downloading the songs, is the original artwork by band member Kevin Hearn in the accompanying booklet with each song’s lyrics. There is also a childhood picture of each band member on the back.
All the way around, it’s another great entry by a contemporary band into the kid-rock genre, much like They Might Be Giants before them. It’s great to hear a tight quintet play the kind of music that they are known for, just aiming it toward a slightly younger audience and no doubt cultivating fans for many years to come. If your kids are anything like mine, they’ll wear this one out, but it’ll take you a lot longer to mind.
Score: Five Beans
