Thumb Wrestling Champions
Mama Bird, 2018
8/10
Listen to Thumb Wrestling Champions
A brother and sister duo consisting of Eddie RosenBerg III and Heather Hirshfield, this debut album from the siblings injects the sounds of their youth- The Beatles and ‘80s pop songs- into a clever and silly listen that’s both nostalgic and hilarious.
The title track starts the listen with a quirky retro-pop tune where keys and sing-alongs make for a playful tune about, well, thumb wrestling, and “The Suction Cup Shuffle” follows with some blues guitars in a soulful and melodic dance rocker where horns are also in attendance.
Near the middle, “Ruby The Tooth Fairy” recruits pretty vocals from Hirshfield and brass in the jazz friendly setting, while “Tips From Toby The Turtle” is a playful folksy strummer that the young ears will adore. “Flower In My Shower”, one of the album’s best, then shines with frisky melodies and classic rhythm amid some moments of beautiful restraint.
Near the end, “The Duck Of Whistleburg” is a calm moment of fun storytelling about our duck friends, and “Twelve Steps To Eating Your Veggies” unfolds like an educational ditty with keys and punchy pop spirit. “Soup (An Epilogue)” ends the listen with ‘60s nods that are retro and brief with a hint of psychedelia.
Though it’s their first record, the siblings deliver a fine kids’ album with strong instrumentation from their vast skill set that will certainly appeal to parents as well.
Travels well with: Jesse Jukebox- Awesome!; Moozika- Moove To The Moozika!