BARI KORAL FAMILY ROCK BAND “ROCK AND ROLL GARDEN”
The Sound: Bright, sunny pre-K rock-n-roll.
In the Cafeteria, They Sit With: The Not-Its!, Milkshake, Frances England, The Jimmies
Best Moments: Maybe I just have a thing for songs titled “Colors”, but Koral’s exploration of reds, blues and black, as well as the admittance of ditching the “pink sheets, pink stockings and pillowcase”, is sheer joy on disc. One can get lost inside “Colors” expansive bass lines, while the jangly tambourine is sure to induce slapping of thigh and I defy you not to harmonize along with the “hoo-hoos”.
The bouncy, piano driven “Hey Ducky” is Bari Koral’s aquatic take on “5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”. The track is popular with my girls who find it’s rhythm ideal when filling in for the monkeys, while the jazzy tickling of the ivories in the closing 20 seconds makes me smile. “Best Friends” feels like a Not-Its! outtake, or at least an alternate version to their “The Great Comprise”. It’s power-pop-perfection about, well, having a best friend…something every non-loner can relate to. Koral doesn’t stop exploring friendship there, oh no. On “Uh Oh”, the album’s closer, she ups the sweetness quotient in imagining a conversation between a pair of 5-year-olds saying “we’ll grow up together but never grow old” before the bus arrives on their 1st day of school. It’s those kind of darling childhood lyrical moments that make “Rock and Roll Garden” such a winner.
Bonus Thoughts: You’ll want to double check your kid’s book bags each morning after listening to “Backpack”, just in case they get any funny ideas. Listen to the comical song here.
Okay, Time to Wrap it Up with a Nice Little Bow: Bari Koral Family Rock Band’s “Rock and Roll Garden” is an album that’s sounding better with each and every listen. It could easily grow to become a favorite of your 2 to 6-year old kids. Koral’s music doesn’t pack exactly the same punch as The Jimmies, but that’s okay ’cause her sophomore family disc has got just enough muscle and edge to make it an enjoyable listen for grown ups as well as for the kiddos.
*Bari Koral Family Rock Band’s “Rock and Roll Garden” was provided to OWTK for review. The opinions expressed above are unbiased and true – no arm twisting took place in the review process.
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