I was blown away.
How had I never heard of Splash 'N Boots??? These guys were fantastic!! Nick (Splash) and Taes (Boots) Adams have hit the jackpot of Canadian Children's Music. Their songs about life on a farm, "rockin" vegetables, a pirate on Lake Ontario, their friend Harry the Parrot, and so much more, are simple, catchy and fun to listen to, not just for kids, but also for their grown ups!
They put so much energy and enthusiasm into their show, the parents find themselves with smiles just as big as those of their kids'. There is just the right amount of humour for the adults and endless, infectious energy as the duo interacts with their adoring young fans throughout the show. Splash 'N Boots have a number of CDs as well as a DVD, which we all long ago memorized in this house. Jeff and I don't mind it playing over and over again because it's good, clean educational fun. And it's funny, even to us. The kids and I were lucky enough to see them perform live again last summer, in Nick's hometown of St Mary's, ON. Once again they were fantastic, and this time Jack especially was over the moon excited to be there and see them live
and in person.
Nick and Taes are down to Earth, everyday people with such an amazing gift. Nick grew up in this neck of the woods and reminds you of a guy you went to highschool with. The one who was friends with everyone, could make anyone laugh, and would take requests all night long with his guitar around the bonfire. Taes grew up in Perth Ontario and her love for children shines through as she bends down to be at their eye level, as she waits patiently for the shyest child to speak, and gives huge wonderful smiles and hugs to a line of children waiting their turn to meet her. So when the opportunity arose a little awhile ago to review their latest CD, I jumped at the chance.
I saved the CD for our 3 hour drive to Niagara Falls this past weekend and when I pulled it out of my purse and surprised Makenna and Jack with it, they couldn't wait to hear the newest songs. (truth be told, neither could I!)
Jeff was intrigued by the whole "Back in Yellow" ACDC reference. 
Once we put it on, it played over and over again, for the rest of the drive there, as well as most of the drive home. It's now the number one CD in our vehicle and Jack insists we move it back and forth between the van and the truck, depending on which one he is riding in that day.
All of the songs are so great, I dont know which one to start with.
There's F.O.O.D. - a song which names a different food for each letter of the alphabet, including "Jalepeno - it has a silent J" and "Quondong...what's a Quondong...we better google it". All 26 foods named are healthy choices, some of which were new to my kids, and I suspect, many kids.
The song "Shake" is one of those songs that sticks in your head all day long. One of my favourite things about this song is the tone of Nick's voice. Again, Splash 'N Boots sing about a number of different fruits, what they rhyme with, etc and then the chorus is about making a shake out of those fruits. After hearing this song for the first time, Makenna, 6, asked me "A plum is a fruit right?" and when I confirmed that indeed it was, she questioned why they didn't sing about plums in this song. Then, after hearing the verse about apples, demanded we explain what gravity was. On our way home from Niagara we stopped in at Ikea and Jack, 3, sang this song over and over again as we shopped.
All grown ups will identify with the song "Why?" which is about allllllllllllll the questions children ask, most of them beginning with the word "Why?" Even my husband was laughing out loud as he heard this song for the first time.
Makenna's favourite song to sing along to is "Uvula" (google it), a song that proved to me that these two can write a hit song about absolutely anything.
The one I like the best is "Beat in my Shoes". Splash 'N Boots recently performed in Bermuda and I could just picture them singing this song there. It reminds you of summer days and dancing in the streets. I also like the special effects on the voice recordings in this song.
Jack was so excited to hear the "Sunny the Horse" song and without fail, every time it comes on he yells "Hey, this song is from the movie, guys! Remember?" Yes. We remember. Splash goes on a bit of a rant about Sunny in this song. First Makenna laughed, "Wow, Splash is out of control!!" Followed immediately by "Splash is even funnier than you, Dad!"
There's a song about Chantelle the Chicken, about a dog that "can walk and talk...and with a french accent says Bow Wow", a song about a Mermaid, about Potatoes, and more. The CD ends with a lovely, feel good song about being best friends forever.
As we listened to the CD, over and over again, I found myself wondering how they would perform these songs live, or what the videos would look like. Once home, I checked out their website and facebook page and found that they do have a few videos of the new songs up. I checked out their tour schedule and was thrilled to see they will be in London twice this summer (the closest stop to us on the tour that even has them travelling to Nunavut and Spain!). I plan to take the kids to at least one of these shows to see the newest songs performed live and delight in the reactions of not just my own kids, but of every single child there.
You may not have heard of Splash 'N Boots before now, but consider yourself informed. They have been voted The Canadian Children's Music Group of the Year and have a laundry list of accolades under their belts. Their songs are not condescending toward children at all, they treat kids like the real people with real ideas and real feelings that they are. They sing cool songs for kids that are age appropriate. I love that my 3 yr old son, my 6 year old daughter, and even my 8 yr old neice all love this music and it is appropriate for all of them. No questionable lyrics, no behaviour that needs to be censored or explained, no need for little girls to want to look and act twice their age.
Good, clean, pure, wholesome fun. And very awesome and cool at the same time.
Perhaps the best review is from my husband who says "This is kids music I can actually handle listening to!"
Two Thumbs Way Up from all four of us on Splash 'N Boots' newest CD, "Back in Yellow". For more info on it and to order, click here.
Thank you so much for the opprtunity to review it. We can't wait to see you in London this summer, and are really looking forward to the new DVD due out later this year!
:)
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