The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
Rabbit! is not nearly as simple as it seems
Rabbit!’s new children’s-music release “Happiness Is Simple” is a model for what family music should be, and it’s too good to be relegated to just kids. It’s no wonder it’s engaging: The act originally from Mount Dora, Florida, started as a crafty indie pop/rock band whose melody-rich sounds and wide-eyed themes lend themselves perfectly to the children’s genre. And founding members Ashton Allen and Devin Moore weave those arty threads into the aural fabric of “Happiness Is Simple.” Sonically, Moore’s throaty voice harnesses everything from the country twang of opener “Tough Enough” to the crackling folkrock of the title-track closer, and in-between, Allen’s softer vocals dominate the remarkably Beatlesesque tracks “Let’s Get Started” and “Sleep.”
“Happiness Is Simple” also includes the surprising energy of the whistle-laced springy electro-dance number “Submarine.”
Lyrically, Rabbit! offers charming themes that will win over all but the most cynical. For example, the act spins a new theme for “The Wheels on the Bus” with “(I Let the) Wheels of the Bus,” where Moore inspires wanderlust with, “Let the wheels of the bus take me wherever the wind blows.” Plus, on the hyper ditty “Dogs like these,” he complains about a rascally canine before he and Allen dovetail with, “Mama said there’d be dogs like these.” And if there’s any doubt they expect adults to be in the audience, check out the lyrics of “The Hush Heard ’Round the World,” which advocates that “quiet is the new loud”: “There’s something counterculture about being taciturn.”
Rabbit! makes it clear that “Happiness Is Simple” is a children’s album with all of its sing-along choruses and uplifting themes, but the rich songcraft and lyrical depth are an obvious play to adults.
Rabbit!
“Happiness Is Simple”
Rating: 4 (out of 5)