Go For The Moon
Palindrome, 2019
8/10
The esteemed children’s music duo Andrew & Polly return with a 5th album, and it’s an even bigger step into their exploratory and creative nature.
After the pair’s clever reinvention of the Smash Mouth hit “All Star”, “Crazy House” follows with horns and a finger snappin’ good time as keys and plenty of backing vocals flow in, as do nods to The Beatles.
In the middle, “Brass Chuckles” offers a playful story and jokes about a trombone, while “Aquarium” brings light synth and plenty of ‘80s influences to the quirky, highly melodic throwback.
Deeper cuts include “Three Chartreuse Buzzards”, with Pops and Lucy Kalantari, which isn’t so much a song as it is a bizarre story, though “Zipper + Saw” brings plenty of music with an initially hushed entrance that builds into a fuller sing-along. “Circus By The Sea” ends the listen with a cultured, busy display of multifaceted pop that unfolds with a glorious, timeless feel.
Andrew & Polly already made me a fan with 2016’s Earsnacks, but here the two are upping the ante even further as they traverse the bounds of children’s music with charming, eclectic, and fantastic results.
Travels well with: Recess Monkey- Wired; Secret Agent 23 Skidoo- The Perfect Quirk