This is music from the earth, an autobiography of the rocks and dirt, rivers and breezes of the Hudson Valley, somehow miraculously channeled through the musicians known as dog on fleas. On their latest masterpiece, When I Get Little, they work their musical magic and make new originals sound like Reconstruction-era classics, while transforming traditional tunes into vibrant and alive dog on fleas creations. Several years of performing and composing together seem to have made the band an impressively cohesive unit, which is a rare thing in kids' music. It doesn't hurt to have three songwriters and four lead singers in the same group, either.
What makes this album so enjoyable for all ages is the fact that the band weave into their songs messages of world brotherhood, of the cyclical reality of life, of pay-it-forward philosophy, and of the reliability of nature, and still make it accessible to everyone in the family. Dig my favorite line of the album: "Forces greater than math control us / We're swimming in a cosmic bath, don't you know it".
This is adult music for children, kids' music for grownups. What ties everything together, though, is a feeling of global kindness and a love of and appreciation for nature and the gifts she has to offer, as well as taking joy in the tiniest details of life. Listen to this album with your kids, and often. They may not get the deeper messages at first but their little intuitions will pick up on the good vibes, on the fact that these musicians and singers have meaningful things to say. But don't think that this is a dour, social commentary-heavy album. In fact, make sure you listen to When I Get Little without your shoes on, else you'll dance right out of 'em.
Warren Truitt is the author of Kids Music That Rocks.
1 comment:
yes! yes!
What AMAZING songwriting they have! And while I admit to being new to their music this year, I am a new true blue fan. And they seem like the nicest, nicest folks. How does that always seem to show through in the music?
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