Get those boogie shoes ready everybody! Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, Just Say Hi!, the latest release from Brady Rymer And The Little Band That Could, keeps the sweet sounds of rock n’ roll alive with a spirited set of what might be Rymer’s most personal songs to date. And by spirited, I mean full-on no stoppin’ this boppin’ blazing train of good times. Like the famous rock n’ roll icons of yesteryears (Springsteen, Mellencamp, Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles), Rymer has rhythm and blues running through his veins. Collectively, this talented troupe makes each song sound like a celebration.
Music, specifically rock n’ roll, has played a major role in Rymer’s upbringing and he directly pays tribute to this genre in many of his songs, whether he’s singing about being raised on rock n’ roll music, playing “Stairway to Heaven” in his garage after school, or learning a piano rag with Grandma Helen. The joy of being with family and friends is interwoven throughout the album as well. “Get This Party Started,” cruises down memory lane with a young Rymer listening to Elvis in the backseat of his parents’ Oldsmobile, to the present day where a glance in the rear view mirror reveals his own children hoppin’ and boppin’ in the backseat to Beyoncè’s Single Ladies song.
Nominated for a Grammy in 2009, Rymer has always been able to connect to the emotional side of his audience, empathetically trying to relate to what they might be feeling and then seeking to uplift their spirits through empowering messages and words of kindness. Just Say Hi! is bookended by two songs that support these messages. Starting with the title track, Rymer encourages kids to just say hi (even if they are uncomfortable, i.e. being a new kid in school). as a way to start building friendships while the last track, “Light of Love,” encourages listeners to connect with each other through the simple act of smiling at one another: Everywhere you go and everything you do/ Every single person that you run into/ Give ‘em a smile big & bright/ And shine your little light of love.”
Just Say Hi! offers many opportunities for you to shake, rattle and roll. The songs we are spinning the most right now are the breezy, “I Spin” and “Getting Your Ya-Ya’s Out,” the perfect answer to burning off a sugar rush. Although, you might want to listen to the former before the latter. Despite it’s action-oriented name, “I Spin,” is a slower number that will help everyone begin to wind down.
Brady with Moppit the monster.
Other standout tracks include “Home,” a rhythmic dance song infused with comforting images that reinforce the saying “Home is where the heart is,” and “Tomorrow’s People,” a reggae tune featuring a supergroup of kindie musicians. Reminiscent of “We Are The World,” the voices of Laurie Berkner and Susie Lampert (The Laurie Berkner Band), Elizabeth Mitchell and her husband Daniel Little (You Are My Flower), and Drew Holloway and Jack Forman (Recess Monkey) highlight the power of music to effect change, as well as offer hope and gratitude.
Rymer is a glowing light within the children’s genre. While there has always been a charismatic sound to his music, Just Say Hi! seems to take a more unfettered approach, providing insight into Rymer as an individual and a musician. Each song is delivered with fervency and infectious enthusiasm, or, as my 5-year-old said, “Brady sings his songs with a heart full of joy.” That just about sums it up! There is positively no way your family won’t be moved by the soul and sincerity found within this album.
Just Say Hi! is available at Amazon and iTunes. Connect with Brady via Facebook and Twitter and make sure to check his official site for tour dates. A special nod also goes to Katie Gastley for the artwork on the album and creation of Moppit the friendly blue monster you see in the photos above.
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