Barenaked Ladies - Snacktime!

Snacktime! (2008, Desperation) Barenaked Ladies' tenth studio album. ***1/2

At first, it seems like a transtition to children's music is odd for Barenaked Ladies. They've always been more concerned with wit, something children of a young age don't catch onto. Not only that, but their image as the geek band that everyone loves doesn't necessarily lend itself to being childish. However, when you really think about it, it makes perfect sense. The college crowd that embraced them upon their 1998 smash hit "One Week" is now ten years older. They're in their late twenties to mid-thirties, and, like the band members, probably have children of their own. Snacktime! appeals to both the avid BNL fan as well as children, and is the equivalent of a Pixar film to music, though not as good.

BNL adopt They Might Be Giants' sound fairly regularly throughout Snacktime!, but they still have their signature wit hidden sporadically every few tracks. "Raisins" marks the first one to have it, with its opening lines of "Raisins come from grapes/People come from apes/I come from Canada." The banter between Page and Robertson on "I Don't Like" and especially "Crazy ABC's" is genuinely funny, though surely the youngsters won't think twice about it.

The major theme, as would be expected, is food. The best representation of this is "The Canadian Snacktime Trilogy," which opens by mocking classical radio station hosts and then delving into a soft and touching song, filled with bandmembers and their kids naming their favorite snacks under aliases (I assume, anyway) and a nice - albeit strange - message of world peace through snacks. Another heartwarming moment is Robertson's song, short and sweet, to his children, entitled simply "Things," with lyrics such as "There are things that make me Dad/You seem to be all of them." While some may argue that Snacktime! is not as refreshing as They Might Be Giants' No! or Here Come the ABC's, it's still a pleasure to listen to for the family. It's good music with silly lyrics that anyone who's not an elitist can enjoy. It's full of imagination and warmth, something the Barenaked Ladies have always been capable of deploying. And on a side note, Kevin Hearn's cover art is simply stunning, a beautiful piece indeed. (Pollywog in a Bog, Louis Loon, The Canadian Snacktime Trilogy, Crazy ABC's)