Reviewed by Trevor Kirk

Hmmmmm, Kids albums are always a bit of a problem because musically they tend to be a little, how shall we say?, cheesy. And it's very easy to write songs that sound completely patronising. Songs like Bible characters like Bartimaus and God making a banana all sound distinctly old-fashioned. Cheesy and patronising, are unfortunately, the two adjectives that spring to mind listening to this set which is a shame because this is well intentioned and they've done well recording it on a low budget. Arrangements feature a lot of cheap sounding synth sounds while vocalist Marjorie Parker is blessed with a clear, booming voice which is mostly in tune but unfortunately she sounds like an overbearing school mama circa 1964. This is particularly interesting when she chooses to try to rap on 'Top Ten'. Oh dear, I know I'm listening to this through adult ears and I'm aware that David Mayers has successfully used these songs with children in his own church. But when in today's culture kids are being turned into chart music supporters at an extremely early age, I wonder whether this whole approach is an anachronism.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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