TODD WEES “MY NEXT BIRTHDAY”
The Sound: Rootsy folk with a heartbeat.
In the Cafeteria, He Sits With: David Tobocman, Johnny Bregar, Jack Johnson & Curious George
Best Moments: “Dancing Shoes” is a favorite of my girls. They like the subject matter, I love the song’s deep groove and mood that reminds me of something off of Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks”. If the sentiment “A meal just ain’t a meal without my ketchup sitting close” rings true with your little ones, then “The Ketchup Song” is going to go over real big. The catchy, witty tune floats the hilarious notion that children may keep a secret stash in case Mom takes the primary ketchup bottle away.
The warm, woodsy “Surf Shack” drips with a coastline cool, and sounds like a fantastic Frances England song. With “I’m Bored” (video below), boredom finally has a theme song. Having nothing to do has never sounded so cool, but it’s also here where you hear some slight production flaws, specifically in the vocal mix. Wees is a talented dude, but he would benefit greatly from a creative, seasoned producer to tighten up his quality songs.
Bonus Thought: Watch Todd Wees perform “I’m Bored”, one of the ‘best moments’ on the album:
Bonus Bonus Thought: Watch Wees perform “Monkeys 3,2,1” (check out all the WorryWoo Monsters in the background!):
Okay, Time to Wrap it Up with a Nice Little Bow: If you still reach for those old Raffi discs, enjoy Jack Johnson’s “Curious George” soundtrack(s), or fancy yourself a fan of singer-songwriters like Ray Lamontagne or Damien Rice, you’re probably going to dig Todd Wees’ laid back, emotive debut family album. “My Next Birthday” follows a familiar folk-rock path, for sure, but the countless footprints on this trail do not make the view along the way any less lovely.
Whew, I made through the entire review without bashing the hideous album cover…oh crap.
*Todd Wees “My Next Birthday” was provided to OWTK for review. The opinions expressed above are unbiased and true – no arm twisting took place in the review process.
