Rattle and Strum

PreS-Gr 3—Heather Blush ("Strum") plucks and strums her guitar while Steve Hazlett ("Rattle") keeps a steady beat on drums. The 15 original songs on the CD are all catchy tunes filled with joy and smart lyrics concerning kid-friendly topics. Blush sings lead on most songs with a smooth, light soprano voice; Hazlett provides a buzzy baritone on lead or harmonies. Highlights include "Video Game Blues" (a bluesy lament about coming in second to video games with the family), "Sneakeroo" (a spooky-ish game of doing sneaky, mischievous things), "Tell Me a Story" and "I Like to Rhyme" (both Caribbean-flavored tunes about storytelling), and "Peanut Butter Song" (a laid-back unison song celebrating peanut butter). Several songs like "Rattle & Strum," "Bubbles," and "Clap Your Hands" have a built-in audience participation element to them.