Single Review: In the Neighborhood – Kymberly Stewart and A Trillion Skies

Watch out for this one! Kymberly Stewart has teamed up with A Trillion Skies on their new single 'In the Neighbourhood' and in doing so have created a perfectly crafted, jaunty classic. There is something of a divine combination at work here, where crystal-clear vocals meet the type of sumptuous melody that immediately captures your attention.

The arrangement is deceptively simple: sparse bass and drums, an intricate piano carrying the core, and a horn section adding warmth and texture. The result is a track dripping in optimism, where we are friends with everyone and 'we know that every day will be a sunny day'.

The vocals move seamlessly between each artist, offering their own particular brand of beauty to the proceedings. The narrative provides a sense of continuity, reinforcing the optimism of 'unity and community', where we all belong in the neighbourhood. The song truly exudes 'an electric feeling', where the simplicity of life is celebrated.

A reflective bridge reminds us that life can be tough, but a real sense of belonging carries us through. The track swims in nostalgia, evoking a seventies Americana where the TV generation spilled out onto the streets, recreating the worlds they saw on screen.

This is a tremendous song, a true feel-good classic that is both inspiring and easy to dance to. It celebrates the gift of life, and the importance of friendship within the community. Unlike Tom Waits's darker, introspective portrait of neighbourhood hardship, this song does the very opposite and lets the light in.  With lyrics that celebrate the importance of friendship, community and the quiet certainty that home is where we truly belong. 

It's also worth watching the official YouTube music video, which adds another layer of charm, perfectly complementing the song’s uplifting spirit. With a warm, nostalgic aesthetic, it brings the sense of 'unity and community' to life through vibrant, feel-good visuals. There’s a natural ease to it all, nothing feels forced, allowing the joy of the song to shine through in every frame. It’s the kind of video that invites you in, making you feel like part of the neighborhood it celebrates.

Kymberly Stewart and A Trillion Skies – the perfect match.

EP Review: Cinco Canciones En Español – The Laurie Berkner Band

Let me start with this: my Spanish is extremely limited. I can confidently say hola and gracias, but beyond that, things get pretty shaky. So when I was given an early listen to The Laurie Berkner Band's forthcoming all-Spanish EP, Cinco Canciones En Español, featuring Spanish-language versions of some of her best-known songs, I was both intrigued and slightly intimidated. How do you review music when you can’t connect with the lyrics? As it turns out, it’s not that difficult, you just have to listen differently.

Within the first song, it became clear that what makes this music work goes well beyond language. Her voice is still warm, playful, and unmistakably inviting. You can hear the energy shift between tracks. The bouncy ones practically demand movement, while the gentler ones feel designed for winding down. Even without understanding the words, the emotional cues are clear. Tempo, repetition, and vocal inflection do much of the heavy lifting. Certain phrases recur often enough that you begin to recognise them by sound alone, even if you couldn’t define them.

What impressed me most about this EP is that it doesn't feel like a side project or novelty release. The Spanish flows naturally within the melodies. Nothing sounds awkward or forced. The songs feel intentional and thoughtfully produced. For families unfamiliar with Spanish, the EP works as a gentle introduction, exposure without pressure, where the listening experience feels less like a lesson and more like an emotional journey.

They say that when one sense is diminished, the others become more pronounced. Similarly, not understanding the lyrics forced me to pay closer attention to the music itself, and there’s a lot to appreciate here. 'Esperando El Elevador' (Waiting for the Elevator) features vibrant acoustic guitar and a clear, expressive vocal that sets the tone for the EP in fine style. It’s incredibly catchy and brilliantly executed, with delightful children's backing vocals chiming in along the way. 'Mi Conejito Brinca' (My Bunny Goes Hop) is upbeat, lively, and bursting with energy, offering plenty of opportunities to join in with the animal actions, encouraging active participation throughout. I'm sure it would be a huge hit both at home and in the classroom.

'A-B-C En Español' (The Spanish Alphabet Song) ensures that learning the alphabet can be both engaging and fun, with a very effective call-and-response vocal working alongside some tasteful acoustic guitar and piano throughout. 'Somos Los Dinosaurios' (We Are the Dinosaurs), one of Berkner’s most recognisable songs, is reimagined here in Spanish, with all its stomping rhythms and clever use of dynamics intact. The EP finishes with 'Escucha Los Sonidos' (Listen to the Sounds), a gentle ballad that gives the listener space to exhale and unwind. The track drifts on waves of melody, tugging at the heartstrings as it softly serenades. Yet there's an undercurrent of quiet uplift, so much so that by its close, even the birds get to join in.

So, did I suddenly become fluent after five songs? Of course not. However, I did connect with the warmth and joy contained here, and that’s what truly great children’s music does: it communicates beyond vocabulary. This EP proves that you don't have to understand every word to feel something deeply. The Laurie Berkner Band has once again raised the bar, doing so with confidence and craft, allowing cultural barriers to fade into the background while the music takes centre stage. The EP will be available everywhere on March 20.

The Laurie Berkner Band – no translation required.

10 Songs for Harmony Week

Harmony Week (16–22 March 2026) is a time to celebrate inclusion, respect and the rich cultural diversity that helps shape our communities. Music feels especially fitting for the occasion, because few things bring people together quite so naturally. Although this post refers to Australia’s Harmony Week, the spirit behind these songs is universal.

For this Harmony Week playlist, I’ve chosen ten songs that speak to belonging, kindness, unity and community in different ways. Some are joyful and uplifting, some are reflective and reassuring, but all of them capture something of the spirit of harmony.

1. Different but the Same by The Mik Maks

This song captures one of Harmony Day’s central ideas beautifully: that our differences do not diminish our shared humanity. Its message is simple, direct and easy for children to understand, while still carrying real emotional weight. It is the kind of song that opens the door to meaningful conversations about identity, respect and belonging. In essence, 'we're all different but the same in different kinds of ways'. 

2. Better Together by Pevan and Sarah

As the title suggests, this is a song rooted in togetherness and unity. Its upbeat feel makes its message especially accessible, turning inclusion into something joyful and celebratory rather than abstract. It is easy to imagine this one bringing people together in classrooms, assemblies or community events. After all, 'our world is full of diversity' and all the better for it because although 'we come from different places we all belong'.

3. The Hand of Friendship by the Fabulous Lemon Drops

Warm and inviting, ‘The Hand of Friendship’ celebrates kindness as something active and generous. The image of friendship being offered so openly gives the song an immediate sense of welcome.

Together, these opening songs set a warm and welcoming tone, showing how music can make ideas like inclusion and belonging feel immediate, joyful and real.

4. To Everyone in All the World by Raffi

There is something expansive and generous about this song, reaching outward with a message that feels broad, inclusive and full of empathy. It suggests a view of community that goes beyond the immediate and embraces a wider sense of shared humanity where 'we can all shake hands'. That makes it especially fitting for Harmony Week, which encourages children to think beyond themselves and appreciate the world around them.

5. We Belong Together by Ukubebe

This song speaks directly to the desire for connection and community. Its message is reassuring, offering a sense of unity that feels both personal and collective. In the context of Harmony Week, it reinforces the powerful idea that belonging is not something reserved for a few, but something everyone deserves to feel. Because in the final analysis 'I like you and you like me', and 'we belong together'.

6. Harmony Day Song by Spotty Kites

Sometimes the most effective songs are the most direct, and ‘Harmony Day Song’ wears its purpose proudly. It captures the values of the day in a straightforward, accessible way that makes it ideal for younger listeners. Beautifully sung, clear in message and celebratory in spirit, it feels perfectly designed for group participation. Where we get to 'sing out for peace, sing out for hope and sing out for love'.

By this point, a clear thread has emerged: each song approaches harmony in its own way, yet all of them point back to the same core values of welcome, respect and togetherness.

7. Harmony by Fyütch and Aura V

Fyütch often brings thoughtfulness and energy together in a way that feels both engaging and purposeful, and ‘Harmony' is no exception. The song’s hip hop feel helps its message land with freshness, while still centring ideas of unity and mutual understanding. A song about gratitude, that gives the playlist a slightly different texture, showing that songs about harmony can be contemporary, dynamic and full of personality.

8. Culture Everyday by Culture Queen

This is a strong inclusion for Harmony Day because it moves beyond vague celebration and points toward culture as something lived and present in every day. Rather than treating diversity as an occasional topic, it suggests that culture is woven into ordinary life, identity and community. This gives the song an added depth and makes its message particularly resonant. Where we get to 'celebrate our culture everyday'.

9. Peace by Music with Michal

Simple in title but expansive in meaning, ‘Peace’ brings a reflective note to the list. Songs like this often remind listeners that harmony is not only about celebration, but also about understanding, compassion and the hope for a gentler world. It offers a moment of calm reflection within the playlist’s broader sense of joy. For Harmony Week, it works as a reminder that harmony often begins with small gestures of openness and connection. A gentle song with a powerful message emphasising the importance of 'harmony, equality and diversity'. 

Taken together, these songs show that harmony can be expressed in many ways – through friendship, shared celebration, cultural pride, empathy and the quiet hope for peace.

10. I’d Like To Teach the World To Sing by The New Seekers

This classic closes the list perfectly because it remains one of the most recognisable musical expressions of unity and togetherness. Its melody is instantly inviting, and its message about collective joy still resonates decades later. For Harmony Week, it feels like both a celebration and an aspiration: a vision of a world connected through kindness, simplicity and song.

Together, these ten songs make a fitting soundtrack for Harmony Week, each reflecting the values of inclusion, respect and belonging in its own way. Some celebrate friendship, some highlight cultural diversity, and some remind us of our shared humanity, but all of them point toward the same hopeful idea: that harmony is something we create by listening, welcoming and making space for one another.

Looking for more?

I’ve also curated a Spotify playlist around this theme with all of these songs plus additional tracks for teachers, families and young listeners who want to keep exploring.

Single Review: Ride the Wave – Again Again

'Ride the Wave' is the latest single from the effervescent family-music duo Again Again. It’s a highly melodic song steeped in empathy, capturing the kind of connection that defines the finest examples of the genre. In essence, a jaunty slice of pure pop brimming with positivity and irresistible harmonies.

Written and performed by Anne Montone and Jen Cook and produced by the irrepressible Mista Cookie Jar, the track is undeniably catchy. It offers reassurance for anyone feeling low and reminding listeners that things will ultimately work out and that ‘it’s okay to cry'. The production is deft and understated, employing a lightness of touch that never overwhelms the message, instead allowing the song’s emotional core to breathe.

Beginning with a minimalist arrangement, the music gradually unfolds into something richer and more textured. Imagine an innocence-tinged echo of 'Strawberry Fields Forever' that gently expands into something resembling a small concerto for a rainy afternoon. The lyrics reinforce the point, persuading the listener that despite life’s inevitable setbacks, we are encouraged to ‘ride the waves’, because hard times are only temporary. This gradual musical expansion mirrors the song’s emotional arc, reinforcing its central message without ever becoming heavy-handed.

Featuring soaring harmonies and buoyant energy, the performance is delivered with a fullness of heart that feels entirely genuine. The instrumentation charms throughout, blending sounds that entice and delight in equal measure. At times the music feels as though Bob Marley has wandered into a studio session with Debbie Harry on the set of Sesame Street – playful, warm and simplistic, and yet harnessing a level of musical sophistication rarely encountered in family pop.

This is a confident and uplifting single celebrating empathy, creativity and connection, offering proof that kindness, courage and a glimmer of musical magic can wipe away even the deepest tear stain. Its message is quietly powerful: whatever comes our way, we can cope, with a tear in our eye or a smile on our face. And in doing so, we will not only survive, but thrive.

Again Again – always look on the bright side of life.