Why Should The Kids Have All The Fun?
Word is spreading fast, from the playgroup to the playground, all the cool kids are getting in on the act. You can almost picture the scene as a proud mother boasts of how her three year old has binned the Tweenies and replaced them with Franz Ferdinand. And why are these youngsters getting in on the act? It's all thanks to Belle and Sebastian and their creation of an album jam packed with kiddie friendly tracks sung by artists like The Kooks, Snow Patrol and The Divine Comedy all in the name of charity and with all the proceeds going to Save The Children. So not only do children up and down the country get their first taste of kid friendly rock but parents will soon be able to openly thrust their musical favourites onto the kids in the safe knowledge that they will be helping charity, the only problem is the potential for the 'Colours Are Brighter' album becoming confined to the back of the closet as mummy and daddy get a little too fed up with hearing Belle and Sebastian singing about monkeys breaking out of the zoo for the hundredth time that day.
'Colour Are Brighter' is, on the whole a brilliant idea: songs that kids will adore by artists parents already love and generally it works well. Franz Ferdinand's version of 'Jackie Jackson' immediately stands out for its vibrancy and fun as Alex Kapranos sings about "loooooads of cakes" in a mock American accent that does nothing to disguise his Scottish twang, adding a dose of fun to the track. Lively and sprite, Franz Ferdinand's jovial description of an overeater who just wants to eat every cake in sight has a Roald Dahl quality to it that will appeal to kids and parents alike, even having the added benefit of the Franz boys offering some maths to mix when trying to total the number of cakes actually eaten. Belle and Sebastian's offering is along the same lines. 'The Monkeys Are Breaking Out Of The Zoo' is full of child friendly goodness with bouncy music accompanying silly lyrics to really capture the attention of toddlers and adults alike, it is sure to be a firm favourite but may just become over played too much.
Not everything on the album is jolly though. Snow Patrol's 'I Am An Astronaut' is probably one for the parents as a wave of seriousness sweeps through the track, which although laced with emotional yearning, may just be too much for the three year old who wants to jump around the room or giggle out loud to tracks about cakes and monkeys. As with all compilations there are also the tracks that just miss the mark, in this instance 'Three Cheers For Pooh, Cottleston Pie, Piglet Ho' courtesy of The Divine Comedy. Although initially promising with The Divine Comedy seeming the ideal choice for a kid's compilation, the track does peter out half way through making this perhaps the perfect track to wind the fun down to.
'Colours Are Brighter' is a marvellous idea that deserves to be recognised above all for the charitable work it is attempting to achieve. This is a collection of songs that will undoubtedly be bought for the youngster in your life but will end up bringing the child out in you, after all, why should the kids have all the fun?