Country
-
punk
trailblazer
Jason Ringenberg
returns to his family-friendly alter ego of
Farmer Jason
for his second album of music for kids (and their parents, of course). While the first
disc was built around the theme of a day on the farm,
Rockin' in the Forest with Farmer Jason
features 11 songs about the things you might find on a hike in the woods, mostly critters such as toads, butterflies and opossums, though
Jason
also celebrates Native-American culture on
"Arrowhead,"
and the rich history of the wilderness with
"The Old Oak Tree."
While
Rockin' in the Forest
features a bit more educational and/or philosophical content than the first album,
is smart enough to know it's best to keep things light and fun, and most of the songs are playful tunes with singalong choruses and an engaging air of silliness, especially
"Punk Rock Skunk,"
"The Catfish Song,"
and
"He's a Moose on the Loose"
(the latter featuring guest vocals from
Todd Snider
). Parents with a taste for
alt-country
will dig the revved-up
"Possum in a Pocket"
(especially the "mistake" on the harmonica solo) and kids who enjoy actually going out into the great outdoors will enjoy all of it; this is
children's
music that doesn't talk down to its audience and offers smart and engaging entertainment for all its listeners without trying to sell anything (a pleasant surprise in "family" entertainment these days). ~ Mark Deming