Finding children’s music that appeals both children and to the parents as well, is a hard thing to do these days. To find children’s music that is downright fun for the whole family, is next to impossible, but look no further than The Speks. The Speks are a six-piece band as well as the first virtual band that hail from a mythical island just off the coast of Ireland called Glasses Island where everyone wears speks! Why? Because in ancient times the island was settle by a clan of Myopians and sometimes the island is still called Myopia! The six band members are Quince, Naymon, Tommo, Pete, Ed and Rafferty and all of them love to sing and play music for children! It’s kinda like the Sgt Pepper for the toddler crowd. Does that intrigue you now? It should.
Sing-Along Songs From Glasses Island is seventeen nursery rhymes set to Irish music. You’ll hear their take on Twinkle Twinkle and Itsy Bitsy Spider and Humpty Dumpty and a host of others. This album was lovingly creating with young children in mind and its in one word, incredible.
The album opens with the infectious Skippin’ Song, which Irish children sing while skipping rope, and from that song on, it just gets better, though its hard to beat the jelly on a plate lyric, that can be dangerous to your health, because you’ll find yourself singing this all day long and its quite likely you’ll get a few strange looks from passers by when you do. Not that it will matter because this song and the rest will put you and your children in a good mood for hours.
All the songs are beautifully sung and performed and none of them sound like anything that might be sung by any dinosaurs, purple or otherwise, in fact these are children’s songs that anyone could be proud to admit to own. A particular favorite of mine is Miss Molly, which takes its melody from a song most people will recognize as Simple Gifts.
But what makes this album so special? It really is the Irish melodies that bring new life to the old nursery rhymes. The lilting flute, the perfect acoustic guitar, combined they make each song something special, something that every child will want to listen to and their parents too.
The songs are such that they almost insist that you sing-along with them. How could you not? That’s why this CD is perfect to take in the car with little ones, or perhaps your 75 year old mother, who fell in love with Miss Molly and The Skipping song with one listen and is now singing them off-key around the house, much to this reviewer’s dismay. But isn’t that proof that this is an album for all ages? A fun bunch of songs that make you want to sing, tap your feet and generally be happy?
So if you have little ones around, or you’re simply young at heart, get yourself a copy of this album ASAP, you won’t regret it for a minute.
Reviewed By Andrea Guy
