Posted on: October 29, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Where “A Day at The Farm With Farmer Jason” was a solid album, “Rockin’ In The Forest” even uses more complex arrangements and styles to get both kids and adults onto the same page. The tracks are oriented towards children, but even the subject material can be appreciated by both groups. The first track “The Forest Oh!” blends together Great Big Sea with They Might Be Giants into a track that could cross over into normal radio.

The same type of skits are present in this album as there are during the prior album, yet “Rockin’ In The Forest” approaches more different musical srtyles. This evolution of styles in the Farmer Jason albums makes the overall effect on adults much easier, as playing these CDs back to back will not seem quite as repetitive as other children’s albums. The only thing that seems like a perceivably problem with Farmer Jason is on the front cover of this album. This is due to the fact that there is a caricature of a moose that orients itself well with African-American individuals. There is a greased-up due, a gold tooth, and this moose is playing a bass guitar. While a few of these stereotypes are not negative (the bass), the other cartoon figures on the front cover do not have any racial component to them. The explanation of specific terms on this disc, such as what precedes “Ode to a Toad”, is a nice way to introduce individuals to music at an early age.

The more rock based approach to “Rockin’ In The Forest” seems to show that Farmer Jason has everything oriented correctly for future albusms. If a different facet of eir alter ego is shown with each and every album, Farmer Jason can go on and have ten or twelve albums under eir belt before ey packs it in. I think it’s funny that Todd Snider is introduced during “He’s a Moose on the Loose”, but I have absolutely no clue who ey is. I would venture that most 2-6 year olds will have little clue about what Snider has done in the past. The same repetition is present on “Rockin’ In The Forest” as was present during “A Day At The Farm”, and it again operates in the same way. This means that little children will be able to sing along. The disc has enough hits that children and adults alike will be singing along for weeks or months after purchasing discs.

Top Tracks: Arrowhead, Mrs. Mouse

Rating: 6.9/10

Farmer Jason – Rockin’ In The Forest / 2006 Rhino / 11 Tracks / http://www.jasonringenberg.com / Reviewed 25 October 2006

[JMcQ]

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