The timbre of Lullatone has always been positive and upbeat, and one imagines the same is true of the personalites of Shawn James Seymour and his wife Yoshimi. 2009’s lullaby collection Songs that Spin in Circles was a beautiful gift to their newborn son, and one surmises that he’s inherited his parents’ happy demeanor. While Lullatone’s music has always possessed a childlike quality, it’s stratospherically better than the well-intentioned but somewhat bland entries of the Rockabye Baby series. The duo released two albums and an EP in 2011: the happy, poppy Elevator Music, the 5-minute, 10-track ringtone collection Alarms and Ringers, and Soundtracks to Everyday Adventures, which on the one hand is Lullatone’s most structurally diverse release to date, and on the other is a natural companion to the 2004’s Little Songs About Raindrops. This time the binding theme is common beauty, as demonstrated by the appealing titles: “Going to Buy Some Strawberries”, “Checking Things Off Of A To-Do List Early In the Morning”, “A Runaway Kite”. As expected, the tracks are playful, full of innocence and light. Clapping and whistling are present, and toy keyboards and xylophones abound. Yoshihiro Tsuchie’s guitar graces four of the tracks, while “The Best Paper Airplane Ever” is visited by strings. But the highlight is “Brass Practice”, which is exactly what the title implies: a peaceful cloud in a sea of blue. Not everyone likes happy music, but those who do will find this album a wonderful companion. (Richard Allen)
a closer listen 