Intended as a children's album,
Under the Pepper Tree
does indeed have a sweet, gentle undercurrent flowing through its 15 songs. Some of this warmth derives from the tunes
Sara Watkins
chose. Picking songs that gave her comfort as a child,
Watkins
weaves such 20th century standards as "Moon River," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," and "You'll Never Walk Alone" among tunes plucked from Disney films ("When You Wish Upon a Star"),
Willy Wonka
("Pure Imagination"), and
the Beatles
("Good Night"). It's an openhearted blend whose inclusivity is underscored by the presence of
' two main bands:
Nickel Creek
appears on "Blue Shadows on the Trail" and
I'm with Her
on "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." The soft focus of
is alluring, even soothing -- a record that could calm the nerves of frazzled parents as they put their child to sleep at the end of a long day. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine