Single Review: Wiggles - Ashley Mills Monaghan

Ashley Mills Monaghan is a singer-songwriter, teacher and author from California. Her new single is simply entitled “Wiggles”, and is taken from her forthcoming album Good Times. The song succeeds in blending country music with melodic pop, delivering an upbeat action song exploding with cathartic energy.

The track begins by declaring that ‘it's time for the wiggle dance’, and then bounces along in jolly merriment inviting all comers to join in too.  The message here is clear, feel the music, get dancing and wiggle till you drop.

 

The lyrics describe a variety of body parts in reverse order, beginning with your toes, and then working backwards towards your head, with each body part taking turns to wiggle to the music.  This call to action comes across like a modern version of "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", no easy feat, but clearly a lot of fun.

 

The vocals are delivered in true country fashion, with the music perhaps revealing a slight Eagles influence at times. The arrangement is simple but effective, with the drums and bass guitar laying down a pulsating rhythm, leaving space for the acoustic guitar to take centre stage. Another bonus is the song sounds like it uses predominantly live instrumentation, a rare quality these days.

 

If you like this song, you should also check out the video, which Ashley herself has described as "my gift to families all around the world, a sweet story of how we all came together to make a video in a time where we had to be apart".  The inclusion of a number of hula hoops strategically placed in order to encourage social distancing further illustrates the point.

Ashley Mills Monaghan is an innovative artist, who performs her music with an energy and vitality second to none. Her new single is melodic, interactive and easy to dance to. There really is something for everyone here, whether you’re a parent, teacher, child, or even a senior citizen, such infectious optimism will have you wiggling in no time.

 

Ashley Mills Monaghan – wiggle, jump and shout.

Single Review: Pluto We Heart You - Claudia Robin Gunn

It doesn't happen very often, but every now and then something particularly special comes along. This is certainly true of "Pluto We Heart You" the new single from Claudia Robin Gunn a singer-songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand.

Clearly on some interplanetary space mission, this song is both delightful and ambitious in all its colourful flavouring. It is taken from her new album Little Wild Universe an extraordinary work of melodic and poetic imagination.

The song begins with a somewhat staccato string arrangement, followed by a hypnotic vocal pattern, where the title Pluto is spelt out in almost Laurie Anderson fashion.  The lead vocal is then delivered with a purity of spirit and a heartfelt delivery that reminded me a little of Suzanne Vega.

 

The lyrics are dreamy and wistful, tantalising the listener with eloquent descriptions of ‘ice mountains and flowing glaciers’ and ‘blue skies and frozen shorelines'. The vocals effortlessly merge with an array of musical soundscapes and potent harmonies, delicately sprinkled throughout the track.

 

Towards the end, the artist delivers a genuine sense of time and place, whilst reminiscing over a photograph of Pluto shown to her by a former teacher, ‘beaming back as precious data’ in all its digital glory.  Whether this is a true story or a lyrical construction I guess we may never know.  

 

I have no prior knowledge of Claudia's influences but I would hazard a guess that if you like Suzanne Vega, The Coors, Brian Eno, The Carpenters, Simon and Garfunkel or Kate Bush then you are going to absolutely love this music.  

 

Claudia Robin Gunn is clearly a major talent. Her new single engages the listener, with intriguing hooks and inspired melodies throughout. The lyrics are superb, and sung with heartfelt resonance and inspired originality. So, if you fancy taking a trip to the stars, then check out this new emerging artist, who is literally out of this world. 

 

Claudia Robin Gunn – reach for the stars.

Single Review: Rainbow World - Tiptoe Giants

Tiptoe Giants are a three-piece musical group from Sydney, Australia.  The band has released one album and three singles to date, and their new single "Rainbow World" is one of their best songs yet.  Apart from featuring some delightful vocals, the music is original, captivating and quite beautifully arranged.

The song features minimal but effective use of percussion throughout, providing suitable space for the vocal arrangements to really shine.  The vocals remind me a little of Kate and Anna McGarrigle in "Complainte pour Ste-Catherine", in that they are as clear as crystal and highly melodic.

The colourful lyrics take the listener on a musical journey, where the subject matter throughout the song is colour coded.  For example, the bus they depart on is green, the school is yellow, and their pyjamas are red.  There is also a clever hypnotic refrain used throughout, inviting the listener to embrace this 'rainbow world' through the simple line 'come colour the world with us'.

The song is very much in the cumulative tradition, using progressive additions throughout. It would probably be a popular song to sing around the campfire with friends.  The song continues to add colour on this lively musical journey, culminating in the chorus, which informs us that the world we inhabit, is indeed a rainbow.

Towards the end, the song cleverly shifts gear to finally reveal itself as a song about diversity. The lyrics encourage the listener to always have an 'open mind', and to fully embrace life, as 'there are always beautiful rainbows to find'.  

Tiptoe Giants have huge potential, and on this form, you will certainly be hearing a lot more from them in the future.   Their music is delivered with subtlety and imagination, and I’m sure it would be hugely popular in schools. Perhaps most importantly, they have managed to tackle a complex topic, with a sweetness and lightness of touch that can only make you smile. 

Tiptoe Giants – changing the world one step at a time.

Album Review: The Tiger Tail - Pevan & Sarah

The Tiger Tail is the second album from the irrepressible Pevan & Sarah, a musical duo from Melbourne, Australia. The album contains a host of catchy, upbeat and interactive songs that the whole family will love.  A major strength of the album is its diversity, and its ambitious attempt to explore a whole range of musical styles, including reggae, rap, pop, rock and disco.  The lead vocals are as clear as crystal, with a clarity of purpose second to none, and the songs are highly melodic, and brimming with pop sensibility throughout. Each song has a definitive hook, is easy to dance to and contains some unique and empowering lyrics written to inspire a whole new generation.

The album kicks off in superb form with the song “Get Up”, with its hypnotic beat, and potent lyrics urging the listener to get up, ‘get your body moving’ and make the most of every day. The arrangement features keyboards, bass and drums on the verse, with an additional brass arrangement on the chorus to add further verve to the track. The song is delightful, effective, and encourages kids to get moving.

The party really gets going with the second track “Imagination”, with its unique blend of rhythm and melody. The vocal interplay between Pevan and Sarah is really quite charming, but it is the chorus, which really grabs the listener’s attention, with a lyric, emphatically declaring how we must ‘use our imagination’. The song is highly interactive, providing opportunities throughout for children to imitate monsters, pirates or even mermaids where they can even ‘talk under water to the fishes’. 

“It’s OK to Make Mistakes” has a message that should resonate with all teachers and parents. Inhibition and fear is something that needs to be tackled head on, and what better way to go about this than through music. The melody is once again, tight and focused, with an uplifting chorus that takes off like a rocket. The middle eight encourages Pevan to join in, and after a couple of clumsy attempts he eventually succeeds, further emphasising the point.  The arrangement is interesting, with the song quite dramatically grinding to a halt half way through, and then storming back with a noticeable change of key to emphatically declare, it really is ‘ok to make mistakes’.

“Gibberish Rap” is essentially a rap with nonsensical lyrics, with Pevan adopting the role of enthusiastic student to further encourage children to participate. The lyrics really are quite bizarre but clearly work in the context of the song, where we are either ‘walking on bread’ or observing our socks bursting into song. There is plenty of impact in the lead vocal, with a delivery that would make Eminem sit up and take notice

“Give it a Go” has something of a ska feel, and races along hardly pausing for breath. The vocal delivery reminded me a little of The Not-Its,with its tight musicality and ferocity of purpose. The song encourages children to ‘give it a go’ and ‘try it today’, so that later on, we can ‘face our fears with no more tears.’  The lyrics are sharp and focused emphasising the importance of getting involved and having a go, with the outro providing examples of how this can be achieved. 

“My Balloon” introduces a slight reggae feel, with the additional use of steel drums adding a Caribbean flavour to the overall sound. The song is vibrant and lively and describes the fun you can have when simply playing with a balloon.  Although the balloon sadly drifts away at the end, we are reminded that we can always blow another one up to keep the game going.  The song is again easy to dance to, with lyrics that encourage the listener to bounce along, as we go ‘up, up, up, up, up’.

“Bath Time” blends together a Motown drum pattern with an inventive brass section, and is an absolute must for any parent trying to persuade their children to take a bath. Bath time here is no longer drudgery but great fun, with children encouraged to grab their rubber duck, and jump into the bath. The song is vibrant melodic and instructive, and features some well timed power chords in the background for additional impact. The song finishes with a reminder of what we need to take to the bath, a checklist that Pevan happily assists with.

“Don’t Pop My Bubble”, deals with the sensitive issue of personal space, how we may experience different emotions, and how to act when we feel vulnerable or angry. The fact that the song can make complex subject matter both fun and engaging, highlights how the band never lose sight of the big picture. The music certainly lifts the mood with the additional inclusion of nineteen fifties harmonies, which would not be out of place on the set of Grease or Happy Days. I am sure Fonzie would approve.

“I Like it Loud” cleverly alternates between music which is both loud and soft. The lyrics emphasise the importance of being quiet, such as 'when the baby is asleep’, and other times when it is okay to be loud, ‘especially when I’m dancing’.  The way the music modulates between the two moods is very effective with some power chords thrown in to pump up the volume where required. Towards the end Pevan and Sarah take alternative positions, with Sarah preferring it loud and Pevan soft.This technique serves to further engage the listener; assisted by some additional Beatles inspired harmonies to add further intrigue.

“The Tiger Tail” is essentially an action song, where Pevan, with a little help from Sarah, puts together a series of actions to create a ‘signature move’.  Here the song seemingly writes itself, as it progresses through a variety of dance moves, which Pevan eagerly imitates. The chorus encourages the children to ‘roll your paws, tiger slide, and swing your tail from side to side’, and is eagerly chanted over a somewhat hypnotic backing track. In many ways the song pulls together many of the ideas featured throughout the album, combining in such a way as to provide a signature theme for the band, which is a great way to finish an album.

This is an excellent album, featuring ten songs of immense variety, captivating lyrics, and musical dexterity throughout. The vocals are as clear as crystal and the lyrics are thoughtful and informative.  It is superbly put together, and like all great albums leaves you wanting more. There is plenty here for children to dance to, but perhaps more importantly, the songs explore many of the challenging issues children face on a daily basis. If we can encourage all children to express themselves, have a go, and not be afraid to make mistakes we can make a better world for all of us.

Pevan and Sarah – let the children boogie.