Ten random tunes from the "happy" playlist in iTunes:
"Melodie d'Amour" by Pete Seeger from the album Waist Deep in the Big Muddy and Other Love Songs (1967, 1:52).
"Reflecting Light" by Sam Phillips from the album A Boot And A Shoe (2004, 3:17).
"I Must Be High" by Wilco from the album A.M. (1995, 2:59).
"Gardening at Night" by R.E.M. from the album Dead Letter Office (1993, 3:29).
"Paradise" by Ana Laan from some SXSW collection (2007, 2:47).
"Tape It (Mastered)" by WinterKids (3:37).
"Outdoor Games" by magic arm from the EP Outdoor Games (4:29).
"Goin' Down This Road" by Big Bill Broonzy from the album Big Bill Broonzy Sings Folk Songs (1957, 2:22).
"America's Queen" by Of God And Science from the album Of God And Science (2007, 3:51).
"Three Little Birds" by Elizabeth Mitchell from the album You Are My Little Bird (2006, 2:34).
4.4 stars on average.
The iTunes Music Store rightly describes the last album as "almost magical in its enchanting simplicity." A mother singing reggae with her toddler could be so saccharine as to be toxic, but Elizabeth Mitchell knows enough to let her daughter have fun with the song, even if she does start singing to her own beat for a while. That one track has more wisdom about parenting than some stroller-pushers you pass on the street seem to. God bless Smithsonian Folkways for releasing such simple gems.
- Log in to post comments